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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 20 March 2019

Nominee to lead FAA will face challenge on Boeing oversight

vice president of flight op- feeding into a new auto- cording to a person famil- the FAA’s practice of us-
Continued from Front erations until retiring on Oct. mated flight-control system iar with the briefing who ing employees of aircraft
1 after 27 years with the air- may have played a role in spoke on condition of ano- manufacturers to handle
The letter requests “an au- line, including time flying the Indonesian crash, and nymity because they are some safety inspections.
dit to compile an objec- FAA inspectors review the
tive and detailed factual work of the manufacturers’
history of the activities that employees, who are on
resulted in the certification the company payroll and
of the Boeing 737 Max-8 could face a conflict of in-
aircraft.” It also says the terest.
audit will help the FAA “in A federal grand jury in
ensuring that its safety pro- Washington sent a subpoe-
cedures are implemented na to someone involved in
effectively.” the plane’s development
Boeing said Tuesday that it seeking emails, messages
will fully cooperate with the and other communica-
audit. tions, the person told The
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Associated Press.
D-Conn., called Chao’s The Oct. 29 Lion Air crash
three-paragraph request killed 189 people, and 157
for an audit “inadequate died in the March 10 acci-
and incomplete.” dent involving an Ethiopian
In his own letter to the in- Airlines jet. Both accidents
spector general, Blumen- happened shortly after
thal said the watchdog takeoff.
should examine whether Other nations banned the
problems with the plane Max 8 and a slightly larger
were missed because Boe- model, the Max 9, in the
ing employees did some days after the Ethiopian
safety-certification work on crash. The FAA and U.S.
FAA’s behalf. He also ques- airlines that use the planes
tioned whether the FAA stood by the plane’s safety
should have done more In this Dec. 11, 2018 file photo, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao speaks during a major until last week.
after the first 737 Max ac- infrastructure investment announcement at transportation headquarters in Washington. There are about 370 Max
Associated Press
cident, and why the FAA jets of various models at
didn’t ground the plane as the 737 and other Boeing the Ethiopian plane had a not authorized to speak airlines around the world.
quickly as other regulators jets. Before that, he was an similar, erratic flight path. on the timing publicly. The American, Southwest
around the world. Air Force pilot. He emerged Boeing began working on FAA earlier required design and United have said the
Questions about the FAA’s in recent weeks as the likely an upgrade to software changes to the flight-con- grounding of their Max jets
handling of the issue ex- choice to lead FAA. behind the flight-control trol system “no later than have led to some can-
tend beyond U.S. borders For the past 14 months, the system shortly after the Lion April.” celed flights.
and will pose an immedi- agency has been under an Air crash. CEO Dennis Mui- After Boeing finishes the The plane is an important
ate challenge for Dickson if acting administrator, Dan- lenburg said in recent days software, the FAA still must part of Chicago-based
he is confirmed to lead the iel Elwell, a former Air Force that the company is close approve it. Boeing’s future. The com-
agency. and American Airlines pilot. to finishing the update and The Associated Press re- pany has taken more than
Canadian Transport Minis- A Lion Air Boeing 737 Max 8 changes in pilot training ported Monday that the 5,000 orders and delivered
ter Marc Garneau said this crashed off the coast of In- to help crews respond to Justice Department is prob- more than 250 Max jets last
week that even if FAA certi- donesia last October, and faulty sensor readings. ing the development of the year. Boeing still makes an
fies Boeing’s fix for the soft- an Ethiopian Airlines Max Elwell told House Transpor- Max, according to a per- older version of the popu-
ware on the 737 Max jet, 8 crashed this month near tation Committee mem- son briefed on the matter. It lar 737, but it expected the
“we will do our own certifi- Addis Ababa. bers that Boeing expects is unclear when that inquiry Max to account for 90 per-
cation.” Investigators suspect that the software update to be began. cent of all 737 deliveries this
Dickson was Delta’s senior incorrect sensor readings finished by Monday, ac- Critics have questioned year.q