FAA to revamp oversight after 2 deadly Boeing crashes
The Federal Aviation Administration plans to revamp oversight of airplane development after the two deadly crashes of Boeing's new 737 Max raised questions of whether the FAA has gone too far in letting companies regulate themselves, a Transportation Department official said Wednesday.
For decades, the FAA has delegated some authority for certifying new aircraft to the manufacturers themselves, reducing government costs and, defenders say, speeding the rollout of new models.
But in the wake of the air disasters in Ethiopia and Indonesia over less than five months, that practice has been seized on as evidence of an overly cozy relationship between the FAA and the industry.
The self-certifying practice, called Organization Designation Authorization, came under scrutiny Wednesday at a Senate subcommittee hearing that featured testimony by the acting FAA administrator, the Transportation Department inspector general, and the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.
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