US FAA launches high-priority probe of Boeing's safety analyses in wake of crash: WSJ

The U.S. aviation regulator has launched a high-priority probe of the safety analyses performed over the years by Boeing Co (BA.N), following the crash of a Lion Air jet in Indonesia last month, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it was reviewing details surrounding the safety data and conclusions the company previously provided to it as part of certifying 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 models, the WSJ reported.

The FAA said in a statement late Tuesday that the Wall Street Journal story was incorrect to suggest the agency is conducting a safety probe on the Boeing Max.

The FAA is not conducting a probe separate from the ongoing Lion Air accident investigation that the agency, the National Transportation Safety Board and Indonesian officials are a part of, the FAA said.

“As we have previously said, we have issued an (airworthiness directive) and will continue to take appropriate action based on what we learn from the investigation. This has not changed,” the FAA said.

The FAA and Boeing continue to evaluate the need for software and/or other design changes to the aircraft including operating procedures and training as we learn more from the ongoing investigation, the regulator said.

Boeing did not respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours.

A Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashed on Oct. 29 minutes after taking off from Jakarta, killing all 189 people aboard.

Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru and David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler and Sunil Nair