Safety
In Wake of Max Crashes, Congress Steps up FAA Scrutiny
House transportation leaders create a whistleblower page, call for an OIG investigation, and seek a third-party review.

FAA oversight and certification procedures are increasingly coming under scrutiny in the wake of the Boeing 737 Max crashes as Congress holds hearings to delve into those issues. Led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the Senate aviation subcommittee this afternoon is looking at federal oversight of commercial aviation with National Transportation Safety Board chairman Robert Sumwalt, FAA acting administrator Dan Elwell, and Transportation inspector general Calvin Scovel all slated to testify. This is the first of two hearings the subcommittee is planning on the issue, with another expected shortly that will involve Boeing and other aviation manufacturers, airline pilots, and other stakeholders.