FAA defends its reliance on aircraft makers to certify jets

WASHINGTON — Under fire from lawmakers on Capitol Hill over the two deadly Boeing crashes, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday defended the agency's practice of relying on aircraft makers to help certify their own planes for flight. Acting FAA Administrator Daniel Elwell said the strategy has "consistently produced safe aircraft designs for decades." And he said the agency would need 10,000 more employees and an additional $1.8 billion a year to do all the work now done by designated employees of the companies it regulates, reported Tom Krisher, David Koenig, and Marcy Gordon for the Associated Press.

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The Intelligent Aerospace take:

March 29, 2019-Under the current model, the FAA greatly relies on self certification of aircraft as the employees of manufacturers are tasked with performing tests and inspections while federal inspectors oversee their work. With two Boeing MAX jets crashing resulting in the deaths of all on board in the past six months, lawmakers on Capitol Hill on both sides of the aisle grilled acting FAA administrator Daniel Elwell on Wednesday about aircraft safety.

Related: Boeing expects 737 Max software fix by end of March

Related: The Boeing 737 MAX: Is the problem with the plane or the pilots?

Related: Boeing agrees with NTSB and FAA to temporarily ground 737 MAX models; President Trump issues executive order

Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace

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