U.S. aviation regulators are formalizing tighter oversight of new aircraft designs that were used after the Boeing Co. 737 Max was grounded.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday announced in a press release that independent so-called Technical Advisory Boards would be established during the certification process for commercial aircraft, smaller planes, helicopters and drones.
The action is part of a broader effort to enact reforms passed into law by Congress late in 2020 and to implement changes that the agency has promised in the wake of the crashes. In recent weeks, it has proposed adding protections for aircraft manufacturers’ employees who are deputized to review designs by the FAA and revising pilot training.
The 737 Max crashes off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia were caused in part by a design flaw that prompted the planes to dive repeatedly during a malfunction.
The FAA created a review panel for the extensive revisions of the plane after the crashes and also has one for the ongoing work on Boeing’s work to create new versions of the 777.