Request information about why FAA determined that pilots needed neither additional information nor training on the plane’s flight control systems

Washington (March 12, 2019) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), members of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today sent a letter to Acting Administrator Daniel K. Elwell calling on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ground all 737 MAX 8 and 9 aircraft until the agency can conclusively determine that the aircraft can be operated safely. In the span of five months, two new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft have tragically crashed, claiming the lives of hundreds of passengers and raising concerns about possible mechanical or training issues that may endanger more aircraft and lives. Prior to the crashes, the FAA determined that pilots needed neither additional information nor training on the plane’s flight control systems.

“The FAA should ground all 737 MAX 8 and 9 aircraft until the agency can conclusively determine that the aircraft can be operated safely,” write Senators Markey and Blumenthal in the letter. “Further, as our aviation safety cop on the beat, it is imperative that when aircraft are modified, the FAA ensures that flight crews receive the appropriate information and training. Reports suggest that the desire to minimize the costs of retraining may have driven Boeing and the FAA to determine that informing pilots of the changes to the flight control system was unnecessary. Safety, not the cost of retraining, must be the FAA’s primary concern.”

A copy of the letter can be found HERE.

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