Boeing's Board Will Impact Engineering and Safety Changes Following 737 MAX Accidents

The reorganization would involve changing the flowchart of the best engineers assigned to various aircraft development programs.

Instead of reporting to the aircraft program managers, the senior engineers would report to the chief engineer of Boeing's commercial aircraft division, said this person.

The goal is to minimize the importance of program schedules and budgets in engineering decisions, said this person.

The Executive Committee Report is not expected to deal specifically with both accidents.

Boeing began developing the MAX in 2011, in a context of intense competition with its rival Airbus SE.

Company officials said the development and certification of the aircraft was part of a six-year systematic process, similar to the creation of previous aircraft.

In April, Boeing set up a committee consisting of four members of the board of directors to review its design process on the MAX, as well as current and future aircraft programs, as well as the more general certification process.

Key findings of the report to be reviewed by Boeing's board of directors were reported Sunday by The New York Times.

Boeing's board also plans to create a company-wide security group to report to senior executives, as well as to create a committee of its own members to look at these issues, said the familiar. with the subject.

Board members should also review Boeing's cockpits design, he added.

The goal is to tackle the cohort of future emerging pilots around the world, who may be less experienced or less trained in the face of rising demand for air and freight travel.

Pilot training and experience is a top priority for aircraft manufacturers, aviation regulators and accident investigators following the two 737 MAX accidents.

Boeing has designed a MAX flight control system known as MCAS, which relies on pilots as a backstop in the event of a flight failure.

But in both accidents MAX – a crash of Lion Air in Indonesia last October and a crash Ethiopian Airlines in Ethiopia in March – the pilots have failed to recover the aircraft after a dive death. In all, 346 people died.

Boeing's internal review is one of many reviews of what caused the accidents.

Federal prosecutors, congressional committees and regulators have launched their own investigations.

Boeing General Manager

Dennis Muilenburg

stated that the company would incorporate the results of independent studies into its operation.

"This is part of what makes the aviation industry so safe," he said at an investor conference last week. "We have this culture of continuous improvement and everything we learn from these independent reviews will be integrated into the process."

Write to Andrew Tangel at [email protected]