Timeline: Key events in the troubled history of the Boeing 737 Max jetliner In the eight years that airlines have flown Boeing's 737 Max jets, two crashes killed 346 people. The Max debuted as a fuel-efficient version of Boeing's popular 737 but quickly became a symbol of safety concerns. Regulators grounded all Max jets in March 2019 after the second crash, leading to the ousting of Boeing's CEO. Then his successor stepped down last summer after a panel covering an unused door on a Max blew off during an Alaska Airlines flight. The Justice Department has twice charged Boeing with criminal conspiracy and struck deals that allowed the aerospace company to avoid a trial. A judge is considering whether to grant prosecutors' request to withdraw the charge.