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Boeing officials “improperly trained” test pilots during efforts to recertify the 737 Max aircraft after they were grounded in March 2019 after two fatal crashes that killed 346 people, US Senate investigators said. In a report. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted a simulator test for more than a year as part of the recertification process to ensure the aircraft could be flown safely.
According to the report, US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation staff began receiving information from whistleblowers after the second 737 Max crash, detailing numerous aviation safety concerns. Investigators said the scope and breadth of the investigation quickly expanded beyond the first accusations and dozens of whistleblowers revealed common themes.
Read also | Boeing 737 Max returns to the air 2 years after being on the ground due to accidents
These are some of the most important findings:
1. The report suggests that the FAA continues to retaliate against whistleblowers rather than welcome their disclosures in the interests of aviation safety.
2. Investigators accused Boeing and the FAA of “attempting to cover up important information” that may have contributed to these fatal accidents.
3. The US agency repeatedly allowed Southwest Airlines to continue to operate dozens of aircraft in unknown airworthiness conditions for several years, putting millions of passengers at potential risk.
4. Boeing inappropriately influenced the FAA Human Factor Simulator test of pilot reaction times involving a Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) failure.
5. Senior FAA officials may have obstructed a review of the 737 Max accidents by the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General.
Last month, Boeing Co received approval from the FAA, which was required to resume its 737 Max flights, however the approval did not allow the Max aircraft to immediately return to the skies. The FAA had rescinded the order grounding the aircraft and issued an Airworthiness Directive, which specifies the design changes that must be made before the aircraft is returned to service. The US regulator also detailed the training changes that the aviation company must incorporate to resume commercial flights after 20 months of grounding. On December 9, commercial flights with Boeing 737 Max airliners resumed for the first time since they were grounded around the world.
