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Compliance Into the Weeds

Compliance into the Weeds: Episode 115-Regulatory Capture and Regulatory Approval at the FAA

Compliance into the Weeds is the only weekly podcast which takes a deep dive into a compliance related topic, literally going into the weeds to more fully explore a subject. In this episode, Matt Kelly (the coolest guy in compliance) and I take a deep dive into the circumstances around the FAA approval process regarding the Boeing 737 MAX in the context of the crash in Ethiopia.We consider regulatory capture and what it might mean for US leadership in the aviation industry worldwide.

Some of the highlights include:

  • What was the process by which the plane was approved by the FAA?
  • How did the Boeing CEO persuade President Trump to prevent the FAA from grounding the Boeing fleet during the investigation process?
  • Why did the Ethiopian government send the plane’s black box to France, rather than the US, for analysis?
  • How did the US lose the world’s leadership in aviation safety?
  • Where was Boeing’s compliance function during all of this?
  • What are the lessons for the compliance practitioner?

For additional reading, see articles discussed in this podcast:

  1. In the Seattle Times, Flawed analysis, failed oversight: How Boeing, FAA certified the suspect 737 MAX flight control system, by Dominick Gates
  2. In the Wall Street Journal, Prosecutors, Transportation Department Scrutinize Development of Boeing’s 737 MAXby Andrew Tangel, Andy Pasztor and Robert Wall
  3. In Slate.com, Where Did Boeing Go Wrong? by Jeff Wise.