Though he steadfastly defended the certification of the Eclipse 500, FAA associate administrator Nicholas Sabatini nevertheless promised Congress the agency will improve its certification program for very light jets. The agency acknowledged that its procedures for certifying the Eclipse twinjet have shown themselves to be “inadequate to address the advanced concepts introduced on this aircraft.” The Congressional committee and the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation criticized the FAA’s decision to certify the Eclipse 500 under traditional, light general aviation aircraft standards, rather than tougher standards in place for larger turbofan-powered aircraft.
FAA Promises to Improve Certification Process
Key Takeaways:
- The FAA acknowledged its certification procedures for the Eclipse 500 were "inadequate" for the aircraft's advanced concepts and promised Congress improvements to its very light jet certification program.
- This commitment followed criticism from Congress and the DOT Inspector General, who argued the Eclipse 500 should have been certified under tougher standards for larger turbofan-powered aircraft, not traditional light general aviation rules.
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