Aircraft Certification Reform and Accountability Act

Aircraft Certification Reform and Accountability Act

This bill addresses certain safety standards relating to the aircraft certification process.

Among other things, the bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to

• direct U.S. aircraft and aerospace industry manufacturers to adopt safety management systems consistent with international standards and practices;
• convene an expert panel to review organizations that design and produce transport airplanes and make recommendations for improvements;
• require manufacturers to disclose to the FAA certain safety-critical information related to an aircraft;
• conduct a comprehensive review of each manufacturing Organization Designation Authorization holder's capability to meet FAA regulations based on the holder's organizational structures, requirements applicable to officers and employees, and safety culture;
• establish an appeal process to review decisions regarding a manufacturer's compliance with applicable design regulations;
• revise and improve its process of issuing amended type certificates for modifying an aircraft;
• initiate a call to action safety review of pilot certification standards in order to bring stakeholders together to share lessons learned, best practices, and implement actions to address any safety issues identified; and
• conduct an evaluation of tools and methods that support the better integration of human factors and system safety assessments of aircraft flight deck and flight control systems into the FAA's certification process.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov