Boeing pilot expressed worries about 737 Max safety in 2016

WASHINGTON : A high-ranking Boeing Co. pilot working on the 737 Max expressed misgivings three years ago during its certification about a feature since implicated in two fatal crashes, calling its handling performance “egregious,” according to 2016 instant messages.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Boeing alerted the Transportation Department late Thursday of instant messages between two employees of the planemaker, the FAA said Friday. The U.S. regulator said Boeing Co. was aware of the communication for months.

“The FAA finds the substance of the document concerning,” the agency said in a statement. “The FAA is also disappointing that Boeing did not bring this document to our attention immediately upon its discovering.”