Originally Posted by
OldnGrounded
Well, we can't know with certainty, but it appears, at the moment, that (1) Boeing provided the documents to DOJ some time ago and (2) the FAA just learned about them when Boeing belatedly forwarded them to that agency.
I agree with you that it's almost incomprehensible that such a thing could happen, but that's what it looks like, for now.
It is not an uncommon practice for law enforcement to withhold documentation if criminal investigations are on-going (and can we be sure that is not happening now?). It is possible that the DoJ would not allow the release of documents until conclusion of their work.
Recall TWA 800 and the lengthy delay in the FBI providing the NTSB witness documents. Good write up here.
http://www.twa800.com/ntsb/8-15-00/docket/Ex_4A.pdf