The certification process of commercial aircraft and engine programs by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suffers from “undue pressure on line engineers and production staff.” It is often understaffed, expertise is ignored, and at times, the FAA lacks the capability to certify complex aircraft systems. Oversight on Boeing’s Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program has eroded. These and other findings should result in a complete review of the FAA’s role on oversight and its safety culture, a report by the US Senate Committee of Commerce, Science, and Transportation says. Whistleblower report critical of FAA oversight on Boeing.
The “Aviation Safety Whistleblower Report” chaired under Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell was released on December 13. It includes extensive statements from seven whistleblowers who contacted the Committee with their experiences and recommendations of aircraft safety and certification within the FAA. The report is a follow-up of the House Committee investigation into the design and certification of the Boeing MAX after the two fatal crashes in October 2018 and March 2019, in which 346 occupants lost their lives.
Active as a journalist since 1987, with a background in newspapers, magazines, and a regional news station, Richard has been covering commercial aviation on a freelance basis since late 2016.
Richard is contributing to AirInsight since December 2018. He also writes for Airliner World, Aviation News, Piloot & Vliegtuig, and Luchtvaartnieuws Magazine. Twitter: @rschuur_aero.
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