This archive report was first published on 17 September 2019.
On September 16, 2019, a source familiar with the matter revealed that a panel of global civil aviation authorities was expected to criticise the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its approval of Boeing's 737 MAX.
The Joint Authorities Technical Review (JATR) panel, set up by the FAA in April 2019, was tasked with reviewing the approval procedures for the 737 MAX and making proposals to improve them.
According to the source, the report, which was due to be submitted in the coming weeks, was critical of the FAA's lack of transparency in permitting Boeing to evaluate systems and software for the MAX.
The panel was also expected to conclude that important changes to the design of the MAX were not properly reviewed by the FAA, including the MCAS anti-stall system, which has been implicated in the deadly crashes.
Boeing employees had inspected the MCAS system, and the panel was expected to criticise the FAA for failing to share data with its peers when certifying the MAX in 2017.
"We will carefully review all recommendations and will incorporate any changes that would improve our certification activities," said a spokesperson for the FAA, which has defended the MAX.
