Boeing ex-pilot’s trial starts on fraud charges over 737 Max

By DAVID KOENIG
AP Airlines Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A former Boeing test pilot is on trial on charges of misleading regulators about the Boeing 737 Max, the model that was involved in two deadly crashes. Mark Forkner faces four counts of fraud. His trial started Friday in U.S. district court in Fort Worth, Texas, with selection of a jury and then opening statements by a prosecutor and a defense lawyer. Forkner was Boeing’s chief technical pilot for the Max, which gave him a key role in deciding how much training pilots needed before flying the plane. Prosecutors say he downplayed the importance of a new flight-control system to keep costs down and help Boeing sell more planes.