Chao reviewing Boeing crashes ‘very carefully’

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on Monday said that U.S. regulators are “very carefully” reviewing two fatal Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft crashes, Reuters reported.

Chao said she has met with Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) acting chief to review the crashes and find “what are possible paths going forward … I want people to be assured that we take these incidents, these accidents very seriously.”

{mosads}A Boeing 737 Max 8 in Ethiopia crashed shortly after takeoff Sunday, killing all 157 people on board.

In October, the same model crashed in Indonesia, killing 189 people.

Regulators in China, Indonesia and Ethiopia ordered the model to be grounded Monday.

The FAA has yet to make a final determination on the aircraft.

In a statement to The Hill, the FAA said they are continuing to monitor the situation and are planning to issue a “Continued Airworthiness Notification.”

“An FAA team is on-site with the [National Transportation Safety Board] in its investigation of Ethiopia Flight 302. We are collecting data and keeping in contact with international civil aviation authorities as information becomes available,” the agency said. “Today, the FAA will issue a Continued Airworthiness Notification to the International Community (CANIC) for Boeing 737 MAX operators. The FAA continuously assesses and oversees the safety performance of U.S. commercial aircraft. If we identify an issue that affects safety, the FAA will take immediate and appropriate action.”

The Hill has reached out to the Department of Transportation for comment.