The Boeing 737 Max aircraft has been globally grounded since March, following two plane crashes—in under five months—resulting in 346 deaths.
In May, Boeing’s representatives disputed the pilots’ requests to immediately fix the software system. An official stated that the company did not want to rush the process of finding the exact cause of the crashes. Boeing claims that pilot error may have been the cause of the accidents.
Preliminary accident reports show that in both crashes, the plane’s control system misfired, causing the plane to dive downward.
Some pilots claim that the lack of information about the plane’s control system was an arguably worse oversight. Without proper control system training, pilots did not know what to do in the event of system failure.
Federal Aviation Administration under scrutiny
One pilot requested that Congress investigate whether the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is as independent and meticulous as it should be.
The FAA allows manufacturers to certify their own planes. Since Boeing flights’ system malfunction, the FFA’s certification process has been scrutinized. The FAA responded to this scrutiny explaining that the certification process for the Boeing Max aircraft took five years and included various ground and flight checks.
The Allied Pilots Association President recommended involving pilots in the flight-testing process of the soon-to-be re-introduced Boeing 737 Max.
Boeing re-certification process
Boeing will have to prove to the FAA, pilots, flight attendants and passengers that their new and improved aircraft is safe.
Airline companies are concerned about the loss of trust passengers may have for future trips because of the Boeing accidents. In a recent poll conducted by National Public Radio, almost 65% of respondents said that they would not fly on the 737 Max even after re-certification from the FAA.
A representative for Boeing asserted that the company is working with the FAA, as well as, airlines and pilots, stating that they will be more transparent going forward in an attempt to regain trust.
