The aviation industry is taking major hits because of the Boeing 737 Max controversy. And now a number of countries have joined with the United States in addressing this issue.
Aviation authorities from eight countries and the European Union (EU) will join several U.S. agencies in reviewing the certification of the Boeing 737 Max automated flight control system. This move comes after a pair of deadly crashes in a matte of six months forced the aircraft to be grounded around the world.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Friday that civil aviation authorities from the countries of: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the EU would join the U.S.-led Joint Authorities Technical Review (JATR) panel.
The panel, which was formed earlier this month, is chaired by former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Chris Hart. The newly formed, multi-national panel includes experts from the FAA, NASA and other international aviation authorities.
The group will look into aspects of the airplane’s automated flight control system. The probe will include investigating its design and pilots’ interaction with it, to determine whether it complies with regulations and find necessary modifications.
The JATR will begin its work on April 29 and it is expected to take approximately 90 days to complete.
Boeing acknowledged earlier this month that “erroneous” information that activated the planes’ Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System contributed to the deadly crashes involving two Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft.
The Trump administration temporarily grounded Boeing 737 Max planes, as have several other governments.
Last month, 157 people were killed on an Ethiopian Airlines flight that took place on a Boeing 737 Max aircraft. In October, 189 were killed on a Lion Air fight.
Do you think this is the right course of action? We look forward to seeing your comments in the section below this article.