Could two fatal airline crashes killing hundreds had been avoided? This question becomes more pressing after a disturbing report was published by the New York Times on Saturday, accusing Boeing to have left the Federal Aviation Administration in the Dark about last-minute changes to the Boeing 737 MAX.
As a result, FAA was poorly positioned to oversee the safety of the automated flight system that was to blame for the two deadly crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia
The agency engineers in charge of keeping a watch on the airplane’s flight control systems through the latter part of its development had little experience with such software, according to The Times.
Boeing spokesman Peter Pedraza said the company actually had informed the FAA about changes it made to the flight-control system, dubbed MCAS, during the 737 Max’s development.
“The 737 MAX met the FAA’s stringent standards and requirements as it was certified through the FAA’s processes,” Pedraza said in the statement. “The FAA considered the final configuration and operating parameters for MCAS and concluded it met all certification and regulatory requirements.”
The 737 Max’s flight control system, dubbed MCAS, has been at the center of the investigation into the safety of the plane. In certain circumstances, that system can take control of the plane and tilt its nose sharply downward.
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