The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has lifted an order that grounded all Boeing 737 MAX planes for 20 months following two fatal crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia that killed all 346 people on board. Boeing says it has made changes to the design, software and crew training for the 737 MAX, but the plane is still grounded in Europe, Canada, Brazil and China. Michael Stumo, whose daughter Samya died in the Ethiopian crash, criticized the FAA’s decision.
Michael Stumo: “My family and the crash families are very upset that this plane is going back in the air. We don’t have a final crash report from the Ethiopian authorities. They haven’t addressed the inherent instability of this aircraft, which is because of its actual configuration. The software — they’re keeping the software fixes and the hazard analysis and all the tests — they’re keeping it secret.”
Michael Stumo’s daughter Samya was the niece of consumer advocate Ralph Nader, who recently urged the FAA to never let the 737 MAX fly again because of its flawed design.