Boeing Has a Tough Road Ahead
Note: This is a continuation of A Closer Look at the Boeing 737 MAX 8 MCAS
Put yourself in the shoes of a hypothetical FAA inspector.
The year is 2016, and you face a mountain of documentation on your desk. You feel that the FAA is understaffed and over-scheduled. But there is some reprieve; you and your colleagues trust the folks over at Boeing. Their safety record speaks for itself, and you feel comfortable with the practice of letting the company self-police itself on various safety matters. This alleviates some of the workload off your shoulder. There are certain programs that you expect will need to be scrutinized carefully, but the Boeing 737 Max is not one of them.
It is now March 2019. There have been 2 crashes of the Boeing 737 Max within the last 5 months. 346 people dead. Sirens are going off around the world; China, Indonesia, and Mongolia have suspended operation of the 737 Max 8. Boeing maintains a steadfast belief in the safety of their aircraft. You and your coworkers review the documentation while hastily communicating with Boeing. It seems clear to you that the aircraft could not have crashed without the occurrence of pilot error. By the end of the day, the FAA issues a statement that re-affirms the airworthiness of the Boeing 737 Max 8.
24 hours have passed, and pressure continues to mount. Several countries - including the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) - ground the Boeing 737 Max 8. There is more frenzy as President Trump publicly questions the airworthiness of the aircraft. Political pressure eventually forces the hand of the FAA to ground the aircraft, but you remain convinced that both crashes are due to pilot error.
Investigations follow, and the details that trickle out over the next few months are catastrophic. The documentation that Boeing sent over to you was inaccurate. The decisions you made regarding the airworthiness of the aircraft were misinformed. The follow-up communications received from the Boeing team were misleading. You recently learn of a class-action lawsuit being filed by 737 Max pilots that allege that Boeing covered up the technical deficiencies of the aircraft. And in turn, your worst nightmare as an FAA representative is realized: public trust in Boeing and the FAA has plunged. To make matters worse, you observe Boeing’s consistently optimistic outlook on the 737 Max 8’s return to service. Their statements seem to allude to a prompt airworthiness approval by the FAA. You reflect on your workload; you decide that any/all matters regarding Boeing aircraft will be permanently moved from the should be fine pile to the requires thorough examination pile. Your colleagues do the same.
