The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said today that it is establishing a special committee to review procedures used by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in certifying new aircraft, including the Boeing 737 MAX, grounded earlier this month after two accidents.
The committee’s interim cochairs, pending the appointment of other members, will be retired Air Force Gen. Darren McDew, former head of the U.S. Transportation Command, and Capt. Lee Moak, a former president of the Air Line Pilots Association, International.
“Safety is the number one priority of the Department, and this review by leading outside experts will help determine if improvements can be made to the FAA aircraft certification process,” Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said in announcing the appointments.
Today’s announcement came just over two weeks after a March 10 accident involving Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a 737 MAX 8 that crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiop…
