<p>Federal prosecutors are preparing to indict a former Boeing test pilot suspected of misleading aviation regulators over the safety issues blamed for two fatal 737 MAX crashes, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.</p>.<p>Mark Forkner was the lead contact between the aviation giant and the United States' Federal Aviation Administration over how pilots should be trained to fly the planes, the Journal said.</p>.<p>According to documents published in early 2020, Forkner withheld details about the planes' faulty flight handling system known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS -- later blamed for both crashes -- from regulators.</p>.<p>The 737 MAX was formally certified in March 2017, but was grounded worldwide for 20 months following two crashes in October 2018 and March 2019 that killed 346 people.</p>.<p>The MAX was allowed to fly again at the end of 2020, once the MCAS software was modified.</p>.<p>Boeing has acknowledged its responsibility in misleading regulators and agreed to pay more than $2.5 billion dollars to settle certain lawsuits.</p>.<p>Neither the US Justice Department nor Forkner's lawyer responded to requests for comment.</p>.<p>The Wall Street Journal said it was not clear what charges Forkner would face.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos</strong></p>
<p>Federal prosecutors are preparing to indict a former Boeing test pilot suspected of misleading aviation regulators over the safety issues blamed for two fatal 737 MAX crashes, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.</p>.<p>Mark Forkner was the lead contact between the aviation giant and the United States' Federal Aviation Administration over how pilots should be trained to fly the planes, the Journal said.</p>.<p>According to documents published in early 2020, Forkner withheld details about the planes' faulty flight handling system known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS -- later blamed for both crashes -- from regulators.</p>.<p>The 737 MAX was formally certified in March 2017, but was grounded worldwide for 20 months following two crashes in October 2018 and March 2019 that killed 346 people.</p>.<p>The MAX was allowed to fly again at the end of 2020, once the MCAS software was modified.</p>.<p>Boeing has acknowledged its responsibility in misleading regulators and agreed to pay more than $2.5 billion dollars to settle certain lawsuits.</p>.<p>Neither the US Justice Department nor Forkner's lawyer responded to requests for comment.</p>.<p>The Wall Street Journal said it was not clear what charges Forkner would face.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos</strong></p>