Lawsuit against Boeing claims autothrottle issue in deadly crash

SEATTLE — A lawsuit filed in Seattle against Boeing alleges that a malfunctioning autothrottle system on an older 737 jet led to the crash of the Sriwijaya Air plane into the Java Sea in Indonesia last January, killing all 62 people on board.

The Seattle Times reported that the lawsuit, filed Thursday in King County Superior Court on behalf of 16 families of crash victims, cited previous incidents involving malfunctions of the 737 autothrottle system, arguing the history suggests the system should have been redesigned.

Chicago-based Boeing in a statement extended sympathy to the families and loved ones of people who died in the Jan. 9 crash but added that “it would be inappropriate to comment while our technical experts continue to assist with the investigation, or on any pending litigation.”

SpaceX picked for moonwalkers

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA chose SpaceX on Friday to build the lunar lander that will eventually put the first woman and person of color on the moon.

Elon Musk’s Starship — the futuristic, shiny steel rocketship that’s been launching and exploding in Texas — beat out landers proposed by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Dynetics, a subsidiary of Leidos. The contract is worth $2.89 billion.

S&P 500, Dow hit new records

Stocks continued to march higher on Wall Street Friday, giving the S&P 500 its latest record high and its fourth straight weekly gain. The benchmark index rose 0.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also closed at an all-time high. Higher bond yields helped lift bank stocks, and health care companies and those that rely on consumer spending also did well. Technology stocks lagged behind, leaving the Nasdaq up just 0.1%. Homebuilders rose after the Commerce Department said home construction rebounded strongly in March to the fastest pace since 2006 as builders recovered from an unusually frigid February.