DUBLIN — It looks like the preliminary report by Ethiopian investigators into the recent Boeing 737 Max 8 crash will be delayed, after the government initially promised to release it on Monday. Given the reported tensions between local investigators and US officials – detailed below – this isn't a huge surprise. The report will have major implications for Boeing, which is already under all kinds of scrutiny by US regulators and Congress. It's hard to draw any conclusions before the evidence is presented, but accounts of the safety approval process certainly raise some concerns about its robustness. But if the report does find problems with the anti-stall system – the leading suspect in the earlier Lion Air crash – then we can expect to see some serious lawsuits filed by the families of those killed in the crash. And we can expect to see more airlines putting a hold on their plans to buy 737s. If, on the other hand, the report clears Boeing, there will still be consequences. Safety approval processes will likely be revised to be slower and more meticulous, and Boeing will face a loss of goodwill among its clients, particularly the high-growth emerging market airlines unable to afford the safety features Boeing is selling as optional extras. – Felicity Duncan

US, Ethiopian investigators tussle over 737 MAX crash probe

By Andy Pasztor and Gabriele Steinhauser

Tension is simmering between US and Ethiopian officials as investigators prepare to release in the coming days an interim report about the Boeing Co. 737 MAX jetliner that nose-dived after takeoff from Addis Ababa on March 10, according to people from both countries.

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