At Cantwell’s urging, expert safety review panel included MIT aerospace lecturer Javier de Luis, who lost his sister Graziella in the ET flight 302 crash of a Boeing 737 MAX 8

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, today commented on a report by an independent panel of aviation experts regarding Boeing’s safety culture that was released by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety and Accountability Act, which Sen. Cantwell spearheaded, required the FAA to convene an expert panel to review aviation manufacturer Organization Designation Authorizations (ODAs), with a focus on the Boeing ODA, and make recommendations to improve safety management processes.

“Congress commissioned the Expert Panel’s report as part of the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act to hold Boeing accountable for improving the safety culture of its Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) unit,” Sen. Cantwell said. “The report makes clear that Boeing's safety culture and SMS need to improve, and FAA should hold them accountable in doing so. The FAA and manufacturers should listen to both Machinists and SPEEA who are asking for a stronger safety culture to improve certification and production quality.”