Business Case Studies & Business Publications

Boeing 737 MAX Crisis: the First 48 Hour...

Murray, Meghan;Hip...

Case

Boeing 737 MAX Crisis: the First 48 Hours

Murray, Meghan; Hipple, JR; Koontz, Serena; Vegarra, Andrea

BC-0343 | Published September 29, 2026 | 12 Pages Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

Product Details

This case puts students in the shoes of Maya Santos, a manager in the communication strategy department of the Boeing Company (Boeing), following two crashes that were ultimately attributed to software issues in the Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane. The case is set 48 hours after the second crash. Boeing does not know the cause and has issued two brief statements. Santos is expected to make strategic communication recommendations for evaluating the situation, assessing the strategy, navigating the C-suite, and executing with strong tactics. The case ends with Santos wondering, “What should Boeing say today, who should say it, and can the in-house team manage a crisis of this scale alone?” The case deliberately leaves the underlying culture—schedule pressure, fear of challenging senior leaders—in the background, but a successful classroom discussion will identify the great risk that culture creates. The case is designed to be taught to business-school students over 85 minutes, in person or synchronously remote.

1. Evaluate how Boeing’s first two public statements failed to keep up with the fast-moving news. 2. Consider if there is a crisis communication protocol that could help the protagonist. 3. Rewrite a real corporate statement under time constraints.