US FAA expands use of review boards in certifying airplanes

The FAA said Monday it is expanding the use of independent safety expert groups to review new designs and technologies in certifying commercial aircraft. The FAA said it is expanding use of Technical Advisory Boards (TAB) to help ensure it has a "consistent and thorough approach for all aircraft certification projects." The FAA convened a TAB soon after the second Boeing 737 MAX crash in March 2019 to assist in its review of the grounded airplane. Boeing said Monday it will continue to work transparently through the FAA's "detailed and rigorous processes ... We will continue to engage with the FAA to ensure we meet their expectations and all applicable requirements." The FAA plans to establish the boards earlier in the certification process and use them on aircraft that are largely like current models and typically referred to as derivative aircraft. The FAA has a board in place for the certification review of the Boeing 777X. The boards review numerous issues including identifying new technologies or designs "that could be catastrophic if they failed," the FAA said, and to determine "whether similar systems have caused problems on other aircraft" and to ensure the proper FAA offices were involved in the certification process. Boeing continues to face scrutiny from the FAA following two fatal 737 MAX crashes in the space of five months in 2018-2019 that killed 346 people. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson told Congress last year the agency is delegating fewer responsibilities to Boeing for aircraft certification and "demanding more transparency" from manufacturers.<br/>