One of the first large-scale official reports on how the 737 MAX’s problems developed and why they remained largely unknown until after two major crashes has pointed the fingers of blame at both Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration, and especially at their cozy relationship.
The report, issued by the House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee after months of hearings and investigation, says that Boeing rushed the process of developing the plane so much that employees were afraid to report problems that might delay it, and that engineers worked too quickly on false assumptions. Other engineers who reported issues were brushed off.
The report also charges Boeing with outright deception, both in giving false or incomplete information to FAA, or not reporting some problems at all. The FAA didn’t, apparently ask for the missing information, and ultimately labeled the plane ‘compliant’ and certified it for service. Compliant, the report points out, but not safe.
The rush resulted from Boeing’s concern about having a new and efficient competitor for Airbus’s A320neo, an upgraded version of a popular plane. By going the same route, Boeing was able to stay ahead in the game, but the heavier engines on the new plane required either expensive pilot retraining, or a computer system to make the new plane handle like the old. The crashes were caused by faults in that computer system.
