Michael Stumo (left) and Nadia Milleron, parents of Samya Stumo, 24, a Massachusetts resident who died in the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash, listen during a House Aviation committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 15, on the causes of two crashes of Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press)

Michael Stumo (left) and Nadia Milleron, parents of Samya Stumo, 24, a Massachusetts resident who died in the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash, listen during a House Aviation committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 15, on the causes of two crashes of Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press)

Editorial: Find, fix failures to restore trust in Boeing, FAA

Candid cooperation from both is needed to restore the confidence of airlines and the flying public.

By The Herald Editorial Board

The Boeing Co. announced late last week that it had completed work to rewrite the software faulted in two deadly crashes of its 737 Max airplanes, killing 346 passengers and crew. But before some 350 of the Renton-built 737 Max planes now grounded worldwide will fly again, the new software will need to be tested and recertified, and authorities will need to determine what additional pilot training will be needed.

There’s a longer path ahead for Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration to restore the trust and confidence among Boeing’s airline customers and the flying public following revelations about how each addressed its responsibilities before and after the air disasters: the crash of Lion Air Flight 610 on Oct. 29, in Jakarta, Indonesia; and the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on March 10, in Ethiopia.

Last week also marked the start of an investigation by Congress’ House Aviation Subcommittee, led by its chairman, Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Washington, who represents the 2nd District, which includes Boeing’s Everett plant.

Larsen set the tone at Wednesday’s hearing: “One thing is clear right now: The FAA has a credibility problem. The FAA needs to fix its credibility problem.”

Yet, in the aftermath of both crashes, investigations and revelations — as well as last week’s testimony — appear to find a shared responsibility for errors and omissions by the aerospace company and its federal regulator.

Among recent reports and testimony:

Boeing said it knew about a software problem with its MCAS system — designed to detect and correct stalls — at least a year before the first air disaster, but didn’t inform the FAA until after the Lion Air crash, which then raises questions about why the FAA took no action to ground the 737 Max planes until well after the second crash, and then only after other air safety authorities grounded the planes in their countries.

Testimony by acting FAA administrator Daniel Elwell brought up the issue of how well pilots had been trained and notified about the MCAS system: “I thought the MCAS should have been more adequately explained,” to pilots, he told the committee.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that an internal FAA review found that senior officials had not participated in nor monitored safety reviews of the 737 Max’s new in-flight control systems. The report did not allege that Boeing officials had provided false data or ignored certification standards, but it wasn’t clear how closely the FAA had reviewed information provided by Boeing before certifying the aircraft.

The investigations, including those by the Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Transportation, already have presented areas of necessary policy discussion for Congress and others, in particular the certification system used by the FAA that delegates much of the review of components and systems to employees within Boeing and other aerospace companies.

That system isn’t new, Elwell said, telling Larsen’s committee that “We’ve had delegation of authority since 1927,” even before creation of the FAA.

Countered Larsen: “Just because it has evolved since 1927 doesn’t mean it’s evolved to the place where it needs to be or should be.”

The FAA could never hope to have enough employees to complete the work of inspecting and certifying all commercial aircraft, and the manufacturer’s employees likely are better informed on such issues, but the doubts over communication and oversight between the regulator and its designees need a full discussion by Congress and others.

There also needs to be a review and study — and not just regarding commercial aviation — about the level of trust that is placed in the “infallibility” of software and automated systems.

Boeing, in addressing the 737 Max’s software deficiencies, has added redundancy with an additional “angle of attack” sensor to the MCAS system. But it has also reportedly reduced the “strength” of the automated system that corrects the angle of the plane’s nose, so that pilots won’t have to fight to regain control as did the crews of the two doomed flights.

Such automated systems are necessary for modern jet aircraft and other complex systems to alert and even prevent human error, but it’s a frightening thought that “machines” can lock out human decision making. There were procedures for turning off the MCAS system, but it’s unclear how familiar crews were with the MCAS system and the steps for overriding it.

Authorities and officials also need to rein in the recent attempts to blame pilot error — before investigations are complete — for the crashes, especially when it’s tied to accusations that the plane’s “foreign” pilots weren’t as well trained as U.S. pilots had been.

National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt, addressed such comments during the hearing: “If an aircraft manufacturer is going to sell airplanes all across the globe, then it’s important that pilots who are operating those airplanes in those parts of the globe know how to operate them. Just to say that the U.S. standards are very good — this might be a problem with other parts of the globe — I don’t think that’s part of the answer.”

It’s not know how soon the 737 Max may return to service, but the crashes of the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines flights — and the response by Boeing and the FAA before and after those tragedies — has arguably degraded confidence in both. As the investigations and hearings continue, only full and candid cooperation can hope to restore that trust.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

RGB version
Editorial cartoons for Monday, March 18

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Carson gets a chance to sound the horn in an Everett Fire Department engine with the help of captain Jason Brock during a surprise Make-A-Wish sendoff Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at Thornton A. Sullivan Park in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: Everett voters will set course for city finances

This fall and in coming years, they will be asked how to fund and support the services they use.

Devotees of TikTok, Mona Swain, center, and her sister, Rachel Swain, right, both of Atlanta, monitor voting at the Capitol in Washington, as the House passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app if its China-based owner doesn't sell, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. Lawmakers contend the app's owner, ByteDance, is beholden to the Chinese government, which could demand access to the data of TikTok's consumers in the U.S. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Editorial: Forced sale of TikTok ignores network of problems

The removal of a Chinese company would still leave concerns for data privacy and the content on apps.

Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, watches the State of the State speech by Gov. Jay Inslee on the second day of the legislative session at the Washington state Capitol, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Editorial: Legislature has its own production of ‘The Holdovers’

What state lawmakers left behind in good ideas that should get more attention and passage next year.

Comment: Measles outbreaks show importance of MMR vaccinations

The highly contagious disease requires a 95 percent vaccination rate to limit the spread of outbreaks.

Harrop: Should ‘affordable’ come at cost of quality of living?

As states push their cities to ignore zoning rules, the YIMBYs are covering for developers.

Saunders: Classified document cases show degrees of guilt

President Biden’s age might protect him, but the special prosecutor didn’t exonerate him either.

Comment: Clearing the internet of misinformation, deep fakes

With social networks’ spotty moderation record, users need to identify and call out problems they see.

Eco-Nomics: Price of gas, fossil fuels higher than you think

Greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels force unseen costs in climate disasters, illness and more.

Vote against I-2117 to keep best tool to protect climate

We voters will be offered the opportunity to repeal Washington state’s Climate… Continue reading

Lack of maternal health care raises risks of deadly sepsis

In today’s contentious climate, we often hear political debates about maternal health… Continue reading

Trump’s stance on abortion isn’t moderate; it’s dangerous

Voters deserve to know the facts and the truth about what will… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.