FAA criticised for 'inadequate' review of new Max jet system

The United States (US) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) did not adequately review the new automated safety system installed in the Boeing 737 Max jets, an international panel has found.

Further, a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation says the panel concluded that the FAA delegated too much oversight to Boeing and that the American plane manufacturing firm provided “confusing information” about the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).

The FAA, which oversees plane safety in the US, commissioned the review in April after two Boeing 737 Max jets crashed months apart in Ethiopia and Indonesia, killing 346 people.

Investigators probing both incidents have focused on the MCAS, which was designed to make the aircraft easier to operate.

The aircraft has been banned in several countries, including Jamaica.

The FAA thanked the panel for it described as an "unvarnished" report and pledged to act on the recommendations.

"We welcome this scrutiny and are confident that our openness to these efforts will further bolster aviation safety worldwide," said FAA Chairman Steve Dickson.

"The accidents in Indonesia and Ethiopia are a sombre reminder that the FAA and our international regulatory partners must strive to constantly strengthen aviation safety."

Boeing has also pledged to work with the FAA on the recommendations.

Over the years, the FAA has delegated more of its safety certification work to Boeing.

Experts say this is because the agency does not have the expertise or resources to do it.

The issue has, however, raised questions about Boeing “marking its own homework” and how can the FAA be sure the plane manufacturer is performing that task properly.

The review panel, in its report released yesterday, found that the FAA's "limited involvement" and "inadequate awareness" of the MCAS "resulted in an inability of the FAA to provide an independent assessment".

It found, too, that Boeing employees performing the certification were also subjected to "undue pressures... which further erodes the level of assurance in this system of delegation".

The report found that the FAA was not sufficiently aware of what MCAS was and, as a result, was unable to exercise proper oversight.

It acknowledged that while the FAA's approval process scrutinised individual changes, it did not adequately consider how the changes might interact with existing systems or with pilots and crews.

The report found, too, that "undue pressures" were placed on Boeing staff carrying out tasks on behalf of the FAA.

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