Spirit Aerosystems, a Boeing supplier, filed a lawsuit against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on May 1st, following a safety investigation initiated by Paxton at the end of March. The company accused Paxton of unlawfully requesting internal documents and other information, and raised other legal issues in their lawsuit. This legal action came in the wake of an incident two months ago involving an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX plane, where the cabin door panel exploded mid-flight, forcing an emergency landing. Subsequently, after “certain aircraft parts provided to Boeing encountered issues again,” the Texas Attorney General launched an investigation into this Boeing parts supplier.
On the day that Spirit Aerosystems initiated legal proceedings, their former quality auditor Joshua “Josh” Dean passed away due to a “sudden, rapidly spreading infection.” Dean had previously come forward as a whistleblower, alleging that the Boeing manufacturer had ignored numerous issues with the 737 MAX as far back as 2012. He became the second whistleblower related to Boeing to die, following John “Mitch” Barnett, who was found dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the morning of his court appearance. The same lawyer represents both individuals in providing evidence of ongoing quality control issues within Boeing and its supplier, Spirit AeroSystems.
Spirit AeroSystems argues that Paxton’s request violates their rights against unreasonable searches and seizures as outlined in the Fourth Amendment. The company, a crucial supplier of Boeing fuselages including the 737 MAX, is under scrutiny by the Justice Department to determine if the Alaska Airlines incident breached a deferred prosecution agreement reached with Boeing, set to expire in two days. As scrutiny on the company’s safety practices intensifies, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun is also poised to step down by the end of this year.
In a statement to Epoch Times, Spirit AeroSystems spokesperson Joe Buccino stated that the supplier “filed this lawsuit seeking a determination on whether the Texas regulations at issue are consistent with existing case law from the Fifth Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States.”
“Spirit AeroSystems does not intend to further comment on this pending litigation,” he added.
Epoch Times reached out to Boeing for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
On March 28, Paxton released a statement regarding his safety investigation into aircraft manufacturers.
“The potential risks associated with certain aircraft models are deeply concerning and may jeopardize the lives of Texans,” Paxton said.
“If any company fails to meet the standards required by law, I will hold them accountable and do everything in my power to ensure that manufacturers take passenger safety seriously.”
Epoch Times also contacted Paxton’s office for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication.
Spirit AeroSystems claims that Paxton’s investigation is “unrelated to the events in Texas, therefore having, at best, a suspicious enforcement purpose,” as the company only operates one maintenance and repair facility in Texas with just 98 employees. The supplier further stated that they do not “manufacture any parts involved in the failure of components in the Boeing 737 aircraft incident that occurred during Alaska Airlines flight on January 5.”