Following two Boeing 737 Max crashes that displayed similarities, experts have started questioning potential political and regulatory missteps that were taken before the jetliners were approved for flights.
According to Quartz, evidence retrieved from the crash site of the Ethiopian Airlines that took the lives of 157 people points to the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) as a key factor that resulted to the crash. The same aspect has been noted as a link to the investigations on the Lion Air crash roughly five months ago.
Last week, global regulators suspended the Boeing 737 Max 8 and 9 models. Analysts have expressed concerns about the missteps that were taken before the software was installed on the jetliners. Furthermore, the issue of pilots fully understanding the risks of the software raised red flags among regulators.
The Seattle Times noted that the Boeing, an American manufacturer, designed the 737 Max 8 to share similar attributes to existing models. The purpose is to save on costs related to retraining pilots about the systems used in new models. However, industry experts say there should be separate training for new releases.
The outlet stated that Boeing failed to mention the MCAS on its flight manual. A spokesman for the American Airlines pilots union, Dennis Tajer said the training pilots received preceding the tragic Lion Air crash was similar to "an iPad lesson for an hour."
Aside from the software system issue, the Times revealed that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may have overlooked appropriate safety regulations before the Boeing 737 Max 8 was approved. Engineers with the FAA reportedly did not read technical documents submitted by Boeing.
As regulators across the globe deliberate on the fatal crashes that occurred within months apart, investigators are now looking at the probe initiated shortly after the Lion Air crash in October. According to Bloomberg, people with knowledge of the probe revealed that federal authorities are considering a criminal investigation on how the Boeing 737 Max was given a flight certification after the Jakarta accident.
The two accidents proved to be a huge blow to Boeing. On Monday, the company's shares dropped by 1.8 percent in New York. Furthermore, the American Justice Department has also started compiling information about how the 737 Max was developed.
More details about the probe have yet to be revealed publicly but a person familiar with the investigation, on condition of anonymity, said a grand jury subpoena is currently in the works.
Speaking about the increased scrutiny and grief that families of the victims are going through, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenberg said, "Our hearts are heavy." He assured regulators around the world that the company is doing everything to improve the 737 Max models' safety.
