FAA Admits Oversight Failures Before January 5, 2024 Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 Incident

Jun 18, 2024, 09:42 AM

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has admitted to being 'too hands off' in its oversight of Boeing prior to a January 5, 2024 incident involving an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9, where a door panel blew out mid-flight. FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker acknowledged the agency's shortcomings during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing, stating that the FAA's approach was overly focused on paperwork audits rather than inspections. In response to the incident, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley has launched a new congressional oversight inquiry into both the FAA and Boeing. Additionally, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun is set to testify before the Senate regarding the company's safety culture and manufacturing issues. The hearing is expected to address recent whistleblower allegations that Boeing mishandled and lost track of hundreds of faulty parts, some of which may have been installed on new 737 MAX planes.