Elaine Chao defends FAA amid scrutiny of agency and ties to Boeing

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao defended in a Senate hearing Wednesday the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to ground the Boeing 737 Max only after dozens of other regulators around the world already had, and the agency’s delegation of new aircraft certification work to manufacturers.

Chao said the FAA had “no factual basis” to ground the 737 Max until March 13, three days after a Boeing 737 Max crashed in Ethiopia and despite a wave of countries and airlines outside the U.S. that had halted flights in the days before. The tipping point was satellite data and physical evidence recovered from the scene that showed similarities to the October crash of a 737 Max operated by Lion Air that ultimately convinced the FAA to follow their global counterparts.