WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – After two crashes of Boeing 737 Max airplanes and a door plug that fell off of another, mid-flight, FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker testified before the House of Representatives about his agency’s oversight of Boeing.
The pair of 737 Max airplanes crashed in 2018 and 2019. The NTSB blamed the crash on the MCAS system, which automatically pushed the nose of the airplanes down, but pilots didn’t know about it.
In January, an Alaska Airlines flight with a Boeing 737 saw a door plug fall out in the air. An NTSB investigation found the 737 left Boeing’s factory without the bolts needed to keep the door attached.
Whitaker told representatives the FAA has increased inspections of Boeing and decreased the number of aircraft Boeing is allowed to produce.
“We are currently writing the airworthiness certificate on each aircraft,” Whitaker said. “Normally, that would be delegated to Boeing, but we have taken that over.”
Boeing is the largest exporter in the United States. That’s why, lawmakers said the company’s legal and financial struggles could affect the entire economy.
“Their stock keeps going down. Quicker than some of their airplanes have,” said Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.). “For America’s interest, Boeing needs to get its act together.”
The company’s financial reports show, Boeing has lost more than $25 billion since 2019. Earlier this month, Boeing machinists went on strike, stopping production of three of Boeing’s four commercial aircraft.