September 26, 2019

Chairs DeFazio, Larsen React to NTSB Aviation Safety Recommendations

Washington, DC – Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Aviation Subcommittee Rick Larsen (D-WA) responded to the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) safety recommendations related to the ongoing investigations into Lion Air flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crashes.

“The NTSB recommendations published today in response to the Lion Air flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 accidents suggest that Boeing and the FAA, in designing and certifying the 737MAX, may not have made realistic assumptions about how pilots respond to multiple simultaneous and potentially confusing warnings in emergency situations,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR). “I am encouraged that the NTSB is recommending that the FAA and other civil aviation regulators apply the science of human factors to revisit these assumptions when certifying new commercial airliner designs. Commercial airplanes should be able to be safely flown by an appropriately-trained pilot on his or her worst day. These recommendations are a step in the right direction to ensure the safety of the flying public, and I look forward to reviewing the NTSB’s investigative documents further. Meanwhile, we continue to work diligently on our Committee’s investigation into certification of the 737MAX and have scheduled a hearing for October 30th in which Boeing has been invited to testify.”

“I commend the NTSB for issuing these critical recommendations. As aircraft and aviation technology modernizes, human factors must remain a key component in design and development,” said Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Rick Larsen (D-WA). “I look forward to seeing how the NTSB’s recommendations align with both the final Lion Air flight 610 investigative report and proposed recommendations from the Joint Authorities Technical Review panel and the Technical Advisory Board. As the Committee’s investigation into the FAA’s certification of the 737 MAX continues, I will maintain public safety as the #1 guiding principle.” 

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