Clarification: an earlier version of this story stated American Airlines received a subpoena. The airline says it has not received any subpoena since November of 2018.

More than a week before a 737 Max 8 jet crashed in Ethiopia in March, the American Airlines pilots union was so unsettled by the actions of Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration it took the unusual step of filing a federal public records request.

The pilots wanted to know more about problems with the planes. On Feb. 26, the union sought records related to the FAA's November decision to update the Max 8 flight manual. They also asked for correspondence between the FAA and American Airlines regarding the planes' approval process.

The request followed a tense meeting between the pilots' union and Boeing employees at the union's headquarters after the October 2018 crash of Lion Air Flight 610 in Indonesia. In a recording reviewed Monday by The Dallas Morning News, the pilots asked Boeing tough questions about the plane's safety.

By the time of the Nov. 27 meeting, there had been two Max 8 incidents within two days of each other: an emergency landing and a crash that killed 189, both on Lion Air planes in October. Why were the planes still in the air? Why not treat this like an emergency?

In the recording, a Boeing employee responded to their questions: "We don't want to do a crappy job of fixing things, and we also don't want to fix the wrong things."

But Boeing didn't issue a fix to the plane's software until a second 737 Max 8 crashed in March, when an Ethiopian Airlines plummeted shortly after takeoff, killing 157.

The unidentified Boeing representative listened to pilots' concerns about a system in the Max 8, know as MCAS, that's intended to help control the plane's pitch during takeoff.

"I don't know that understanding this system would've changed the outcome," he said. "In a million miles, you're going to maybe fly this airplane, maybe once you're going to see this, ever."

"We try not to overload the crews with information that's unnecessary."

In a statement emailed to The News, Boeing said it "is committed to working with pilots, airlines and global regulators to safely return the updated MAX to flight once certified."

Last week, the Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas for pilots unions as part of an ongoing investigation into the plane's safety and the FAA's relationship with Boeing. Among U.S. carriers, the North Texas-based airlines have the largest number of Max 8 jets in their fleets.

The Allied Pilots Association suspects federal authorities are seeking pilots' notes from meetings with Boeing. The Southwest and American Airlines pilots unions were given until May 24 to comply with federal subpoenas.

Union members recorded the meeting without Boeing's knowledge. APA President Dan Carey shared audio of the November meeting with The News, saying pilots left concerned that Boeing did not treat the situation like an emergency at the time.

"That was the lynchpin in why we filed the FOIA request," Carey said.

Carey said the pilots were troubled after the meeting about the relationship between the aircraft manufacturer and the federal agency tasked with overseeing it.

One of the pilots on the recording expressed frustration that Boeing wasn't moving faster to fix what pilots were saying was wrong with the plane.

"We're the last line of defense to being in that smoking hole," he complained.

President Donald Trump grounded the Max 8 fleet on March 13, the day after The News published an investigation revealing numerous complaints logged in a federal aviation safety database by pilots who had safety concerns while flying the plane. Airlines and Boeing have said they expect the Max to be recertified and flying again by August.

American Airlines told The News it has the "utmost confidence" in its fleet.

"We remain confident that the impending software updates, along with the new training elements Boeing is developing for the MAX, will lead to recertification of the aircraft soon," the airline said in a statement. "Our team continues to work collaboratively with the FAA, Boeing and the Allied Pilots Association in this process."

737 Max grounding timeline