(Reuters) – The U.S. aviation regulator will significantly change its oversight approach to air safety by July following two fatal Boeing Co MAX 737 passenger plane crashes, according to written congressional testimony seen by Reuters.
At a U.S. Senate panel hearing on Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acting head Dan Elwell will say the agency’s oversight approach must “evolve” after the deadly crashes, according to the testimony.
The aviation industry has been thrown into flux by a Lion Air crash in Indonesia last October that killed 189 people and an Ethiopian Airlines disaster on March 10 that killed 157, both involving Boeing’s 737 MAX single-aisle plane.
A spokesman for Ethiopia’s transport ministry, which is leading an investigation in Addis Ababa, told Reuters the preliminary crash report would very likely be released this week. The initial report will begin to paint a more detailed picture of what went wrong during flight ET 302’s six minutes in the air, likely with huge consequences for the plane’s manufacturer and the airline.
Boeing’s best-selling jet, with orders worth more than $500 billion at list prices, has been grounded globally.
Elwell will also say that the 737 MAX will return to service “only when the FAA’s analysis of the facts and technical data indicate that it is appropriate.”
The MAX software is among the leading areas of focus for investigations into the two crashes.
Elwell’s testimony discloses that Boeing first submitted a proposed upgrade to its anti-stall software – which aviation experts have identified as a potential factor in both crashes – to the FAA for certification on Jan. 21.
Boeing is expected as early as Wednesday to unveil more details of the software upgrade to the MAX’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, known as MCAS. The company did not comment on Tuesday on the upgrade, but said it would closely monitor the congressional hearing.
Elwell will tell the panel that the FAA was “directly involved” in the review of MCAS, and that its certification was “detailed and thorough.”
U.S. Transportation Department Inspector General Calvin Scovel will also testify to the panel on oversight changes.
“While revamping FAA’s oversight process will be an important step, continued management attention will be key to ensure the agency identifies and monitors the highest-risk areas of aircraft certification,” said Scovel’s written testimony, which was seen by Reuters.
According to Scovel, new FAA rules that took effect on March 12 require air carriers to train pilots for “specific abnormal flight conditions” including stall recovery.
But Scovel’s testimony says “despite requiring these training maneuvers to be practiced in flight simulators, simulators remain unavailable for some new aircraft, including the Boeing MAX series.”
Representative Peter DeFazio, who chairs the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said he was sending a letter from lawmakers on Tuesday urging the FAA to engage an independent, third-party review of Boeing’s proposed changes to the 737 MAX before it is returned to service.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is also examining the FAA’s certification process, chairman Robert Sumwalt will tell the Senate, according to his testimony seen by Reuters.
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