The chief pilot of aircraft manufacturer Boeing during the development of the 737 MAX is being charged. That writes business newspaper The Wall Street Journal based on insiders.
According to the sources, the pilot is suspected of misinforming the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about safety issues related to the two fatal crashes of the 737 MAX.
The pilot is said to have been an important contact with the FAA at Boeing during the aircraft development. He had to indicate how pilots should learn to fly the 737 MAX. In addition, the man allegedly misled the FAA by stating that the differences in certain systems between the 737 MAX and predecessors were smaller than was actually the case.
This would save valuable training time and make the device more attractive to customers. In addition, the pilot has been out of work at Boeing for years.
The 737 MAX was grounded worldwide for a long time from March 2019 after two fatal accidents involving the type in a short time. Hundreds of people were killed in the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. The cause turned out to be a flight assistance system that pushed the aircraft’s nose down at the wrong times. Boeing has made adjustments to correct the problems.
Meanwhile, the United States, Canada and the European Union, among others, decided to let the 737 MAX fly again.
