>>> Inquiries won't help if they stop at Boeing, or contractors Boeing used.
The investigation hasn't stopped at Boeing nor Boeing contractors.
It's not covered in the NYT article linked in this HN topic, but the Wall Street Journal article that was first to report the Justice Department investigation says the NTSB is "seeking to interview Federal Aviation Administration Officials in the Seattle area who oversee Boeing's manufacturing".[0]
Sounds like an initial step towards identifying any fault that lies with the FAA and FAA oversight.
> seeking to interview Federal Aviation Administration Officials in the Seattle area who oversee Boeing's manufacturing
That could mean anything at the moment, though hopefully its a good sign.
It wouldn't be suprising for the NTSB or Justice Department to want testimony from the FAA related to a case against Boeing. It will be very surprising in my opinion if the interviews lead to any question of the FAA itself. Importantly, if the FAA was in any way a subject of the investigation they likely wouldn't be seeking interviews as that generally isn't a term used for potential defendants.
The investigation hasn't stopped at Boeing nor Boeing contractors.
It's not covered in the NYT article linked in this HN topic, but the Wall Street Journal article that was first to report the Justice Department investigation says the NTSB is "seeking to interview Federal Aviation Administration Officials in the Seattle area who oversee Boeing's manufacturing".[0]
Sounds like an initial step towards identifying any fault that lies with the FAA and FAA oversight.
[0] https://www.wsj.com/business/airlines/justice-department-ope...