US Congress Eyes Another Boeing Audit After Multiple 737 MAX Incidents

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US Congress Eyes Another Boeing Audit After Multiple 737 MAX Incidents

Subject: 11000000 – Politics

•| Politics |•| 11000000 | •| POLY |

Boeing

Stock Code

BA

Business Type

Planemaker

Date Founded

1916-07-15

CEO

Dave Calhoun

Headquarters Location

Chicago, USA

Key Product Lines

Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing 757, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, Boeing 787

US plane builder Boeing faces further US Government scrutiny with Congress reportedly preparing to request an audit of Boeing’s production oversight following some 60 in-flight problems, including six emergencies, involving the 737 MAX in the 12 months since the FAA cleared the plane to fly again. An email from the US National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB) says the US Congress has requested the Inspector General’s Office of the Department of Transportation (DOT) undertake the audit.

Scores of 737 MAX incidents rouse the interest of the US Congress

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s investigations unit, scores of incidents concerning the Boeing 737 MAX have flown under the radar since the aircraft returned to service in the US. On 22 occasions, the aircraft’s flight control system failed, 42 incidents involved equipment malfunctions, and on at least 40 occasions, pilots chose not to fly the MAXs until identified issues were fixed. That’s in addition to the six in-flight emergencies declared in the US since the MAX resumed flying.

It’s enough to pique the interest of the US Congress. The ABC is reporting on an email sent by the NTSB confirming an impending announcement of yet another audit into Boeing’s production processes.

“The DOT Inspector-General’s office confirmed … that Congress requested an audit of Boeing’s production oversight and that the review of the production of the 737 MAX will be a part of this audit,” the email reads. Boeing says no in-service failure is acceptable and the overwhelming majority of 737 MAX flights have been conducted without any incident.

“In the small percentage of cases in which operators have logged operational concerns, they have been very carefully examined,” a spokesperson told Simple Flying. “None of the reports indicate a trend and are similar in occurrence to other type models. In fact, the in-service reliability of the 737 MAX is consistent with other commercial airplane models.

“We continue to work with our suppliers and regulators to introduce product improvements to address opportunities to ensure uninterrupted service for our customers and their passengers across our product line up. Improvements may range from design changes to production process updates to maintenance or operational procedure enhancements. Any changes go through a rigorous development, test, and certification process.”

Incidents mar the MAX’s successful return to service

The 737 MAX was grounded around the world in early 2019 following two fatal crashes that killed 346 people. It took the best part of two years for US authorities to clear the plane to fly again in US airspace. Aviation safety agencies in other countries took even longer to green-light the aircraft to return.

Another round of scrutiny for Boeing concerning their MAXs caught the eye of the Australian media organization because two local airlines are about the introduce the aircraft into service there. Bonza is expecting the first of eight MAX 8s as soon as July, while Virgin Australia expects four MAX 8s early in 2023 and 25 MAX 10s to begin landing in twelve months. In response to our inquiries, both airlines referred Simple Flying to Boeing.

The ABC report cites several potentially serious incidents involving the MAX since it resumed flying in the US. They include a United Airlines pilot declaring a mayday when the plane’s system controlling the pitch and altitude malfunctioned, and both autopilot functions on an American Airlines MAX shutting down soon after takeoff. One Alaskan Airlines MAX was grounded seven times over five months owing to problems with its navigation and communication systems.

Audit presents as another problem for Boeing

Boeing points out that since resuming flying, the 737 MAX has flown over 1.5 million hours across 580,000 revenue flights, and the number of incidents involving the aircraft remains low. Boeing says the numbers the ABC report cites do not constitute a trend.

Regardless of the manufacturer, every aircraft type experiences inflight incidents of various severity. The more flights a particular aircraft type operates, the higher the number of incidents recorded against it. Pilots are trained to deal with such problems, and because of that, in-flight incidents rarely translate into fatalities.

But because of those fatal MAX crashes and well-documented production and quality control issues at Boeing, that aircraft builder is under particular scrutiny. This latest audit is another in a series of investigations and oversight procedures initiated by US authorities that has the potential to add to Boeing’s publicity woes and delay aircraft deliveries. For its part, Boeing continues to have confidence in the reliability and safety of the 737 MAX fleet.

Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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