The FAA has denied reports it had launched a new investigation of safety studies performed by Boeing on its 737 MAX aircraft models, following the crash of a Lion Air jet in Indonesia last month.
The agency shot down claims made in a Wall Street Journal report stating it was ‘not doing a safety probe’ outside of the ongoing Lion Air crash investigation.
All 189 people on board were killed when the new Lion Air 737 MAX jet dived into the sea.
However, the FAA and Boeing Co. are looking closely at whether design changes are needed for the jets.
Operating procedures and pilot training may change as more information is analyzed from the investigation, the FAA said.
"As we have previously said, we have issued an airworthiness directive and will continue to take appropriate action," the agency said in a statement.
US pilot unions say Boeing didn’t tell them about an automated stall-prevention system added to their 737 MAX aircraft which may have been partly the cause of the deadly Lion Air crash.
Jon Weaks, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, said they ‘were kept in the dark’ by Boeing.
"We do not like the fact that a new system was put on the aircraft and wasn’t disclosed to anyone or put in the manuals," Weaks said.
