In the wake of revelations that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allowed aircraft manufacturer Boeing to handle the safety analysis for its airliners – revelations that followed two fatal crashes of Boeing’s 737 MAX - the U.S. Department of Transportation is firming up its new Safety Oversight and Certification Advisory Committee (SOCAC).
The SOCAC was created by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. The committee will provide advice to the Secretary of Transportation regarding issues facing the aviation community related to FAA safety oversight and certification programs. These include aircraft and flight standards certification processes, oversight of safety management systems, risk-based oversight efforts, and utilization of delegation and designation authorities.