Aviation Experts Blast FAA Over 737 MAX Redesign Approval: Report

Washington (AFP) – US aviation regulators came in for heavy
criticism on Friday over lapses in certifying the Boeing 737 MAX
aircraft, which has been grounded following two crashes that killed
346 people.

The report, authored by a team of international aviation
regulators, said the US Federal Aviation Administration lacked the
necessary manpower and expertise to evaluate key flight-handling
changes on the plane and also delegated too much to Boeing staff,
hamstringing its ability to ensure the plane was safe.

The study focused in particular on the Maneuvering
Characteristics Augmentation System, a flight-handling mechanism
that is believed to be at the center of both crashes. It comes on
the heels of reports last month by the National Transportation
Safety Board and the US Office of Special Counsel that also
criticized the FAA’s handling of MAX certification.

Certification documents submitted by Boeing were “fragmented”
and failed to evaluate the system in “a complete and integrated”
manner, said the report by the Joint Authorities Technical Review
(JATR), which the FAA established in March after the second of the
two deadly crashes.

“Aircraft functions should be assessed, not in an incremental
and fragmented manner but holistically at the aircraft level,” the
report said.

The study also painted a troublesome picture of the FAA’s
“Organization Designation Authorization” program, or ODA, in which
the agency delegated elements of the certification to Boeing.
Critics have derided this process as “self-certification” and
characterized it as reflective of a too-cozy relationship between
Boeing and the FAA.

The report said the FAA’s ability to oversee the process was
hindered by “resource shortfalls” and the “limited” experience and
knowledge engineers had of technical aspects of the 737 MAX
program.

“With adequate FAA engagement and oversight, the extent of the
delegation does not in itself compromise safety,” the report
said.

“However, in the 737 MAX program, the FAA had inadequate
awareness of the MCAS function which, coupled with limited
involvement, resulted in an inability of the FAA to provide an
independent assessment of the adequacy of the Boeing proposed
certification activities associated with MCAS.”

The report also urged the FAA to review the ODA work environment
in Boeing projects to ensure engineers “are working without undue
pressure” when they make decisions on behalf of the FAA.

-‘Unvarnished’ view –

FAA Administrator Steve Dickson thanked the JATR for the
“unvarnished and independent review,” according to a statement.

“We welcome this scrutiny and are confident that our openness to
these efforts will further bolster aviation safety worldwide,”
Dickson said. “The accidents in Indonesia and Ethiopia are a somber
reminder that the FAA and our international regulatory partners
must strive to constantly strengthen aviation safety.”

A Boeing spokesman said the company “is committed to working
with the FAA” to review the recommendations and improve the
certification process.

And he repeated the company’s previous statement that safety is
“a core value” for Boeing and is “always our top priority.”

Boeing is targeting regulatory approval for the planes’ return
to service this year following upgrades, but the aerospace giant
has noted government authorities will have the final say.

On Friday, United Airlines became the latest carrier to push
back the target date for resuming flights until 2020, announcing it
removed MAX flights through January 6.

“Moving forward, we’ll continue to monitor the regulatory
process and nimbly make the necessary adjustments to our operation
and our schedule to benefit our customers who are traveling with
us,” the company said.

Aviation experts said the report shouldn’t significantly affect
the timeframe for FAA approval since many of the issues with the
FAA’s oversight of MAX certification have been previously aired in
government and media reports.

“It largely reaffirms what is generally known about the MCAS
development process and its flaws,” said Richard Aboulafia, a vice
president at the Teal Group, a market analysis firm, adding that
the plane could still be approved in late 2019.

Scott Hamilton of Leeham News, a publication specializing in
aviation, said the report should not affect the timeframe for
regulatory approval since the FAA participated in the JATR study
and likely has already incorporated the recommendations.

“I am not aware of anything that would prevent the FAA from
completing its recertification this year. But clearly Boeing’s hope
of ‘early’ fourth quarter is done,” Hamilton said in an email.

Shares of Boeing rose 1.4 percent to $376.15 in late-afternoon
trading.

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