Says Company Has Caused Career Damage, 'Severe Emotional And Mental Stress'

A Boeing 737 MAX pilot has filed a lawsuit against the planemaker alleging "demonstrated reckless indifference and conscious disregard for the flying public" in the way it designed its latest variant of the airplane.

The pilot not been named, and the suit has been filed as a class action on behalf of potentially more than 400 pilots working for the same airline. CNN reports that from what they have been able to ascertain from the court documents, the pilot is a Canadian who flies for an "international airline". The plaintiff is identified only as 'Pilot X' because he or she fears "reprisal from Boeing and discrimination from Boeing customers ... due to Boeing's substantial influence in the commercial aviation industry."

While the FAA is not named in the suit, the court documents accuse the agency of being involved in an "unprecedented cover-up" with Boeing "of the known design flaws of the Max, which predictably resulted in the crashes of two Max aircraft and subsequent grounding of all Max aircraft worldwide."

The FAA has not been specifically named as a defendant in the suit, but aviation attorney Joseph Wheeler, who is on the team representing Pilot X, said he has initiated the necessary procedures that could lead to a filing against the FAA.

The suit does not specify a dollar amount in damages, saying that should be "determined at trial".

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report