NEW YORK (AP) — Boeing did not fully explain to federal regulators an automated flight system featured in its new 737 Max, and those regulators didn’t have the capability to effectively analyze much of what Boeing did share about the plane.
Those are the findings of a panel of international aviation regulators, according to a report in The New York Times. The document is expected to be released Friday by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Boeing 737 Max was grounded following crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed a total of 346 people late last year.
The task force only looked at the Federal Aviation Administration’s certification of the Max’s flight control system, but that allowed it to review the certification of the new automated system involved in the crashes.
FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a prepared statement that the agency would review all recommendations from the panel and take appropriate action.
“We welcome this scrutiny and are confident that our openness to these efforts will further bolster aviation safety worldwide,” Dickson said.
Boeing said it appreciates the work of the panel led by the former chairman of the U.S. Transportation Safety Board, Christopher Hart.
“Boeing is committed to working with the FAA in reviewing the recommendations and helping to continuously improve the process and approach used to validate and certify airplanes going forward,” the company said in a prepared statement.
