Boeing CEO to testify before Congress on 737 Max

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg will testify before Congress next month to provide further information on the company’s 737 Max aircraft. 

Muilenburg will speak before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Oct. 30. He will be accompanied by John Hamilton, chief engineer of Boeing’s Commercial Airplanes division, and Captain Jennifer Henderson, chief pilot for the 737, the committee announced in a statement.

{mosads}737 Max aircraft have been under scrutiny after two fatal crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia that left hundreds dead. The accidents prompted many countries, including the U.S., to ground 737 Max planes.

The National Transportation Safety Board said this week that Boeing did not test its planes thoroughly enough with pilots, including failing to conduct sufficient tests to detect sensor failures, which investigations indicate caused the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. 

It was also reported earlier this month that the jets could remain grounded until the end of the year amid friction between the manufacturer and international air safety authorities. The news came after regulators reportedly complained that Boeing did not provide technical details about the jets and declined to answer specific questions about changes in the operation of their flight control computers. 

“Our best current estimate continues to be a return to service of the MAX that begins early in the fourth quarter,” a Boeing spokesperson told The Hill earlier this month. “Our focus is on safety and ensuring the trust and confidence of customers, regulators and the flying public. Timing on return to service will be driven by the [Federal Aviation Administration] and global regulators.” 

Boeing this week settled its first batch of lawsuits over the Indonesia accident that killed 189 people, giving each family at least $1.2 million. It still faces nearly 100 lawsuits over the Ethiopia crash that killed 157 people.