Lawmakers advance aviation safety, certification measure

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The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation has advanced the Aircraft Safety and Certification Reform Act of 2020, seeking to bolster safety and certification initiatives.

Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Committee, noted the measure implements provisions to improve aviation safety stemming from Boeing 737 MAX crashes, addressing human factors to accurately assess pilot responses to cockpit alerts and assisting the development of technical standards in certification.

“The Committee’s approval of the bipartisan aviation safety bill is progress toward improving the certification process and enhancing accountability, especially as it relates to the manufacturing of passenger aircraft,” Wicker said. “As the FAA prepares to unground the 737 MAX, this legislation contains numerous provisions that would ensure that the agency performs its safety oversight to the highest standards.”

Cantwell said when it comes to aviation, safety has to be the top priority.

“This legislation implements new safety reforms that both the FAA and the manufacturers must follow,” she said. “It moves the FAA back to a more direct supervisory role and requires more robust product analysis from the manufacturers. It also requires the FAA to upgrade and retain technical expertise to do proper oversight and protects company engineers and whistleblowers who see flaws early in the design process.”

Bill provisions include mandating Safety Management Systems (SMS) for large aircraft and engine manufacturers, directing the FAA to establish an Office of Continuing Education to assist the FAA’s certification engineers and inspectors in keeping current with new technologies and concepts, and repealing unused certification authorities that would permit the FAA to further delegate responsibilities to manufacturers.