BOEING CEO TESTIFIES BEFORE CONGRESS ON 737 MAX CRISIS
November 11, 2019
On October 29, 2019, Boeing Company President and CEO Dennis Muilenburg appeared before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation to discuss the crash of Lion Air Flight 610, the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, and Boeing’s conduct in the design and certification of the 737 MAX. Muilenburg also appeared the following day, October 30, 2019, before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Muilenburg stated that his company was “deeply and truly sorry” for its mistakes leading up to the current crisis and was working hard to address them. The 737 MAX remains grounded around the world, with financial losses mounting for some airlines and no announcement yet when the aircraft will return to service.
U.S. lawmakers aggressively questioned whether Boeing had concealed key information about new automated systems from pilots and regulators that contributed to the fatal accidents. They also questioned whether Boeing enjoys too much power to influence the certification of safety-critical systems through the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) delegation of certain review procedures to manufacturer employees. The high-profile scrutiny and a number of overlapping reviews will likely lead to new legislative reform efforts. For example, on October 24, 2019, two members on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation introduced a bill to require the FAA to more thoroughly examine cockpit automation when certifying aircraft.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6622); Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6665), or Alexander Matthews (amatthews@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6633).
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