Senate Committee’s 737 Max Report Critical of FAA, Boeing

Released 97-page report indicates that the fox was proverbially guarding the hen house.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, December 14, 2021 at 06:37 PM ET

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A Boeing 737 Max takes off after a touch-and-go landing at Edwards Air Force Base. [Courtesy: USAF]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Senate is demanding the FAA improve its oversight of new airplane certification and specifically, the Boeing Company, following a multi-year investigation into two fatal 737 Max crashes.
The Senate report attributed the crashes partly to the 737 Max's MCAS system and insufficient pilot training, alongside a critical assessment of Boeing's safety culture and "undue pressure" on staff.
The investigation also highlighted the FAA's "eroded" oversight, noting it had delegated too much certification authority to Boeing, essentially allowing self-certification.
These events led to a 20-month grounding of the 737 Max fleet, prompted congressional reforms for FAA certification, and Boeing states it has since made significant changes to its safety culture.

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The U.S. Senate wants the FAA to do a better job certifying new airplanes and, specifically, overseeing the Boeing Company.

The Senate Commerce Committee made the announcement after the release of a 97-page report summing up a multi-year investigation into accidents involving two Boeing 737 Max airplanes from two air carriers that happened within five months of each other. In all, 346 people were killed.