Not So Fast: EASA Rejects FAA Approval of MAX

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will not automatically adopt the US Federal Aviation Administration’s conditional approval for re-certifying the controversial Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

“EASA also found that sufficient reason exists to require certain additional actions, deemed necessary to ensure safe operation of the affected aeroplanes, including pilot training,” EASA said in a statement Friday.

The agency will initiate its own “Proposed AD for public consultation” to solicit further comments on MAX pilot training.

Here’s the text of the EASA announcement:

“EASA considerations, leading to the decision not to adopt Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) AD 2020-24-02 On 20 November 2020, the FAA issued AD 2020-24-02, applicable to certain Boeing 737-8 and 737-9 (MAX) aeroplanes. That AD requires installing new flight control computer software, revising the existing AFM to incorporate new and revised flight crew procedures, installing new MAX display system software, changing the horizontal stabilizer trim wire routing installations, completing an angle of attack sensor system test, and performing an operational readiness flight. That AD also allows operation (dispatch) of an aeroplane with certain inoperative systems, if specific (i.e. more restrictive) provisions are incorporated into the operator’s existing approved minimum equipment list (MEL). FAA AD 2020-24-02 was prompted by two fatal accidents, the investigation results of which demonstrated the potential for a single erroneously high AOA sensor input received by the flight control system to result in repeated nose-down trim of the horizontal stabilizer.

“The results of safety investigations conducted by the authorities of the States where these events occurred, as well as EASA’s own safety review, have confirmed that, when the actions as specified in FAA AD 2020-24-02 have been accomplished, the affected aeroplanes can be returned to service.

“However, EASA also found that sufficient reason exists to require certain additional actions, deemed necessary to ensure safe operation of the affected aeroplanes, including pilot training.

“For the reason described above, EASA has decided not to adopt FAA AD 2020-24-02. Instead, EASA will issue a Proposed AD for public consultation, the Final AD for which will replace the requirements of FAA AD 2020-24-02 for aeroplanes operated under EU regulations.”

For the backstory, read CAT’s previous coverage:

FAA MAX approval announcement, 20 November 2020

The troubled MAX history by Robert Moorman

CAT Editor Rick Adams’ feature on MAX training