Families' Fight for Justice: Boeing Crash Aftermath

Ike and Susan Riffel, parents who lost their sons in the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max crash in 2019, are among those urging the US Justice Department to prosecute Boeing. They believe a deferred prosecution agreement would obscure the truth. Families continue to seek justice and safer aviation regulations.

As they journey through Alaska on a meticulously planned vacation, Ike and Susan Riffel periodically stop to affix stickers urging people to "Live Riffully." This act honors their sons, Melvin and Bennett, who perished in the 2019 Boeing 737 Max crash in Ethiopia.

Families of the crash's victims, along with those affected by a similar incident in Indonesia, anxiously await the US Justice Department's decision on prosecuting Boeing. These tragedies claimed 346 lives. Ike Riffel worries the government may resort to corporate probation through a deferred prosecution agreement, which he argues would conceal the truth.

"A DPA hides the truth. A plea agreement would hide the truth," says Riffel. The families demand transparency about Boeing's actions during the Max's design and testing, and after the initial 2018 crash. The Riffels have channeled their grief into advocacy, raising concerns with the Justice Department, FAA, and Congress.

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