FAA safety inspectors were NOT qualified to certify Boeing 737 Max pilots and the agency misled Congress about their competency, special investigator concludes

  • Office of Special Counsel investigated whistleblower claims regarding training for Boeing 737 Max pilots
  • Report finds pilots were 'under-qualified'  and FAA gave misleading information to Congress 
  • As a new aircraft, Boeing 737 Max had two crashes killing 346 
  • FAA spokesperson said they will respond to 'the concerns that have been raised'
  • The agency's effectiveness of safety oversight has come in question 

Federal Aviation Administration inspectors were not qualified to certify Boeing 737 Max pilots and the agency may have misled Congress, a government watchdog has concluded. 

The Office of Special Counsel, a federal agency that is investigating a whistle-blower complaint, has found that safety inspectors who worked on training requirements for the pilots were themselves 'under-qualified'.

The investigators also said that in their written responses to Congress, the FAA had been 'misleading in their portrayal of FAA employee training and competency'. 

They found that the agency's response to lawmakers 'raises significant concerns.'    

The Boeing 737 Max came under scrutiny following two deadly crashes in the past year. 

The new planes killed a combined 346 people from mid-air accidents in Ethiopia and Indonesia, despite having being determined certified as safe. 

The whistleblower complaints added to the questions of effectiveness and transparency for safety oversight at the FAA, the Washington Post reported. 

One of the Boeing 737 Max planes, currently grounded. A government watchdog report indicates the FAA 'misled' Congress about training for pilots

One of the Boeing 737 Max planes, currently grounded. A government watchdog report indicates the FAA 'misled' Congress about training for pilots 

Boeing 737 Max crash in Ethiopia where all 157 passengers and crew were killed. The oversight group said the FAA misled Congress about the training of Max pilots

Boeing 737 Max crash in Ethiopia where all 157 passengers and crew were killed. The oversight group said the FAA misled Congress about the training of Max pilots  

Boeing and FAA have shared criticism for failing properly train pilots on the new automated safety feature on the Max, known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS. 

Investigators said faulty data from the sensor repeatedly misfired, causing the nose of both planes to drop down before they crashed. 

A spokesperson for the FAA told the DailyMail.com in a statement: 'We are reviewing the Special Counsel’s letter. We remain confident in our representations to Congress and in the work of our aviation safety professionals. Aviation safety is always our foremost priority, and we look forward to responding to the concerns that have been raised.' 

But the Special Counsel's letter indicated the two 737 Max crashes were 'closely linked with crew training resources and familiarity with operational procedures' -- and that came under the authority of some of the improperly trained pilots, Bloomberg reported. 

Demonstrators hold photos of Boeing 737 Max crash victims. A probe investigating a whisteblower's claims says the FAA misled Congress regarding the pilot's training    

Debris from a crash site involving a Boeing 737 Max. The Office of Special Counsel found the pilots were 'under-qualified'

Debris from a crash site involving a Boeing 737 Max. The Office of Special Counsel found the pilots were 'under-qualified'

Boeing 737 Max planes are grounded following the two deadly crashes. A federal watchdog group found the pilots were not properly trained

Boeing 737 Max planes are grounded following the two deadly crashes. A federal watchdog group found the pilots were not properly trained

In a letter to President Trump, Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner wrote that the 'FAA’s official responses to Congress appear to have been misleading in their portrayal of FAA employee training and competency,' the Washington Post said. 

In April, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, questioned the acting FAA administrator about claims from whistleblowers 'that numerous FAA employees, including those involved in the Aircraft Evaluation Group (AEG) for the Boeing 737 Max, had not received proper training and valid certifications.'

The FAA auditors 'found 16 of 22 (73 percent) have not completed the required formal training course. Worse yet, at least 11 of the 16 do not qualify to enroll in the course because they do not hold a Certified Flight Instructor certificate,' they wrote in the Special Counsel letter.  

Among those lacking classroom training were three members of the Flight Standardization Board for the Boeing 737 Max, the Washington Post.   

In response to the crashes, carriers across the country have halted Max flights. Southwest is expected to resume its fleet in January. American plans on bringing the controversial planes back into action December 3.  

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