DOT Sec Calls For Audit Of 737 MAX Certification (UPDATED)
Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has asked the DOTs Inspector General to audit the FAAs approval of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. This closely follows a detailed investigative piece by the Seattle Times revealing mischaracterizations of the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), preliminarily thought to be a component of the two fatal crashes of 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has asked the DOT's Inspector General to audit the FAA's approval of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. This closely follows a detailed investigative piece by the Seattle Times revealing mischaracterizations of the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), preliminarily thought to be a component of the two fatal crashes of 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The Ethiopian transport minister, who had been presented with preliminary data from Ethiopian Flight 302, said there are "clear similarities" to data from the Lion Air crash last October.
Secretary Chao told IG Calvin Scovel, "To help inform the Department's decision making and the public's understanding, and to assist the FAA in ensuring that its safety procedures are implemented effectively, this is to confirm my request that the Office of Inspector General proceed with an audit to compile an objective and detailed factual history of the activities that resulted in the certification of the Boeing 737-MAX 8 aircraft." Boeing requested an amended type certification for the MAX 8 and 9 aircraft in 2012, and received approval in March 2017.
Other countries are seeking their own answers. Reuters is reporting that Canadian and European Union aviation authorities have signaled they will not rubber stamp the FAA's conclusions or Boeing's fixes. Transport Canada has indicated that it will conduct an 'exhaustive review" of the 737's MCAS before clearing the airplane.
The Times report revealed that the MCAS had far more authority over stabilizer trim than was originally thought and could create yoke forces of more than 100 pounds for pilots trying to regain control of the aircraft. Boeing had previously stated that software fixes were in progress; reports are that the MCAS will be connected to both angle-of-attack sensors (not just one, as currently configured) and be limited to the number of times it can move the stabilizer should it sense an impending stall.
The Boeing 737 MAX series remains grounded worldwide.
