FAA to review Boeing final design documentation to assess regulatory compliance
WASHINGTON:
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Tuesday that it plans to release a proposed airworthiness directive for the Boeing 737 MAX in the “near future” to address changes since the plane was grounded in March 2019 after two fatal accidents killed 346 people.
An official briefed on the matter told Reuters that the FAA is unlikely to dig up the 737 MAX until one October. Boeing Co did not immediately comment, but previously said it plans to resume deliveries by September 30 after regulatory approval.
The crisis has cost Boeing more than $ 18 billion, cut production and hampered its supply chain, with criminal and Congressional investigations still ongoing.
The FAA said the public will have 45 days to comment on “proposed design changes and crew procedures to alleviate safety issues identified in investigations following the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes.” The FAA noted that there are still a few key steps before the aircraft can resume commercial service.
On July 1, the FAA said it had conducted three days of certification test flights on the 737 MAX’s automated flight control system.
Final planning is underway for the review by the FAA Flight Standardization Board (FSB) and the Joint Operations Evaluation Board (JOEB) of the proposed training for flight crews, based on the design changes and crew procedures.
The JOEB will include regulators from Canada, Europe and Brazil and will assess minimum pilot training requirements. The FSB will publish a draft report for public comment on the findings of the JOEB.
The FAA will review Boeing’s final design documentation to assess regulatory compliance, and the multi-agency technical advisory committee will review Boeing’s final submission and issue a report prior to a final FAA compliance decision.
Boeing has agreed to add important safeguards to a key safety system related to the two crashes, perform further software updates and relocate the wire harnesses.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
