Boeing safety approvals scrutinized
US senators sharply questioned regulatory officials on Wednesday about the Federal Aviation Administration's reliance on Boeing Co's engineers to certify the safety of the company's new 737 Max 8 aircraft, which was involved in two fatal crashes in the past five months.
A self-certification procedure called Organization Designation Authorization came under scrutiny at a hearing of the Senate Commerce Committee's aviation subcommittee in Washington. Testifying were Daniel Elwell, acting FAA administrator; Robert Sumwalt, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board; and Calvin Scovel III, Transportation Department inspector general.
For decades, the FAA has delegated some authority for certifying new aircraft to the manufacturers, reducing government costs.
