America’s standing as the model for aviation-safety regulation will be on trial as congressional hearings begin into the Federal Aviation Administration’s oversight of Boeing before and after two deadly crashes of its best-selling airliner.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration plans to revamp oversight of airplane development after the two deadly crashes of Boeing’s new 737 Max raised questions of whether the FAA has gone too far in letting companies regulate themselves, a Transportation Department official said Wednesday.
For decades, the FAA has delegated some authority for certifying new aircraft to the manufacturers themselves, reducing government costs and, defenders say, speeding the rollout of new models.
But in the wake of the air disasters in Ethiopia and Indonesia over less than five months, that practice has been seized on as evidence of an overly cozy relationship between the FAA and the industry.
The self-certifying practice, called Organization Designation Authorization, came under scrutiny Wednesday at a Senate subcommittee hearing that featured testimony by the acting FAA administrator, the Transportation Department inspector general, and the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Inspector General Calvin Scovel III said the FAA plans to significantly revamp its oversight of aircraft development by July. He gave few details in his opening statement but said the changes would include new ways to evaluate training and self-audits by aerospace companies.
Over the years, the inspector general’s office has found management weaknesses in the agency’s oversight, Scovel said.
In Seattle, Boeing said the process by which it designs, develops and tests planes has led to safer and safer air travel, and it sees no need for an overhaul.
The Max, featuring bigger, more efficient engines and a new automated flight-control system that has now come under suspicion in both air disasters, went into service in 2017.
