The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has accused Boeing of equipping nearly 800 Boeing 737 NG and MAX airplanes with equipment containing sensors not specifically approved for use in those airplanes. The company faces a proposed $19.68 million civil penalty.
In a statement issued late last week, the FAA said that Boeing had installed Rockwell Collins Head-Up Guidance Systems between June 2015 and April 2019 in 791 airplanes — 618 of the airplanes were 737 NGs and 173 were 737 MAX airplanes. The guidance systems included sensors that were not tested or approved as compatible with the systems, the FAA said.
“Boeing violated Federal Aviation Regulations when it certified these aircraft as airworthy when they were not in conformance with their type certificate,” the FAA said. “The agency further alleges that Boeing failed to follow its own business process instructions, which are in place to help prevent such situations from occurring.”
Rockwell Collins has now conducted the required testing and risk analysis, the FAA said.
Boeing has 30 days to respond to an FAA enforcement letter that detailed the agency’s allegations.