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 admitted its certification procedures for the Eclipse 500 very light jet were "inadequate" to address the aircraft's advanced concepts.
- Congress and the DOT Inspector General criticized the FAA for certifying the Eclipse 500 under traditional light general aviation standards, rather than tougher standards for larger turbofan aircraft.
- Despite initially defending the certification, the FAA promised Congress it would improve its certification program for very light jets.
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