Boeing CEO Testifies on Capitol Hill Today
HARLOW: Happening now, Boeing's CEO is on Capitol Hill, answering some very important questions from lawmakers about safety issues plaguing their 373 MAX jet. He is the first Boeing official to testify before Congress after 346 people were killed in two crashes: an Ethiopian Airlines jet in March, and a Lion Air plane -- Lion Airlines airplane, last October.</s>SCIUTTO: His testimony comes one year to the day after that Lion Air crash off the coast of Indonesia, a system designed to automatically lower the plane's nose if it nears a stall is suspected of forcing both flights into the ground. Lots of evidence from the cockpit in both crashes, of pilots fighting that system. Dennis Muilenburg, the CEO, admitted this morning, well, they made some mistakes.</s>DENNIS MUILENBURG, CEO, BOEING: We've made mistakes, and we got some things wrong. We're improving, and we're learning, and we're continuing to learn.</s>SCIUTTO: Well, hundreds of people did die in those crashes.</s>HARLOW: Yes.</s>SCIUTTO: Let's bring in now-former inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation, and CNN transportation analyst Mary Schiavo. Thanks very much, Mary.</s>MARY SCHIAVO, CNN TRANSPORTATION ANALYST: Thank you.</s>SCIUTTO: Mary, I want to ask, following this story has been fascinating and a little disturbing because what's become clear, beyond Boeing's mistakes, is the FAA's involvement here, really, or just the way the system is set up where the FAA cedes so much control to the airlines to self-certify. I mean, even there's been some reporting that they wrote the law, they wrote the language of the law, ceding control to the airline here. Tell us the problem with that.</s>SCHIAVO: Well, you're exactly right. You know, this problem has been so long in the making that, you know, working on this case is very fascinating because the wheels were put in motion for Boeing's failure years before, because the FAA -- and remember, in concert with Congress and the Senate, delegated to Boeing the authority to approve almost every part of this plane. And by doing this delegation, then, the FAA was not aware of crucial changes in the MCAS system that pushed the nose down even further. And even when Boeing became aware of these problems, before the Lion Air crash and certainly after the Lion Air crash, the FAA was not immediately notified. But, again, this change, this designation of authority to certify was approved by Congress, it was passed by the Senate. So they have a lot of questions to ask both Boeing, the FAA and themselves.</s>SCIUTTO: Yes.</s>HARLOW: The Europeans are looking at this differently, Mary, and it seems to me as though they're taking -- they're just taking a slower route here, and they are saying we need more evidence before we unground these planes. I wonder if you think that's the right approach, and also what it takes for the public to regain trust in these planes.</s>SCHIAVO: Right. The Europeans are taking it more slowly, as is the rest of the world. I mean, there are many other aviation nations that are taking a long, hard look at this, you know, China and other countries. And we have to remember that, last Friday, the final report on the Lion Air crash did come out and the Federal Aviation Administration, if you just look at it by line count and word count, they had more recommendations aimed at them than even Boeing. So the nations of the world, sadly the Federal Aviation Administration's reputation is very, very tarnished and its leadership is in question, and so other nations of the world won't just accept the FAA's word. Passengers? Who knows how long before anyone will feel comfortable. I mean, the issue's been raised that perhaps Boeing will even change the name of the plane, putting it into an aviation version of the Witness Protection Program, with a new identity --</s>HARLOW: Wow.</s>SCHIAVO: -- but I think passengers will resist for some time. But that's part of Boeing's job on the Hill and elsewhere, is to really convince them that not only that they have fixed the problem, but that they deserve our trust.</s>SCIUTTO: Yes.</s>SCHIAVO: And I'm not sure the Hill's convinced, and I know the public isn't convinced.</s>SCIUTTO: Just very briefly, yes or no. For Poppy and myself and others who might be listening, should we feel comfortable flying on this plane?</s>SCHIAVO: Well, not yet. And it's going to depend what the FAA does next, and it's really going to depend on what Congress does. The Senate and the House, I say, allowed this designation. They have to revisit what they did as well.</s>SCIUTTO: Yes.</s>HARLOW: Right.</s>SCHIAVO: We've got to get all of Washington working again.</s>SCIUTTO: Yes. The House was involved, of course, in writing this legislation too. Mary Schiavo, thanks very much.</s>SCHIAVO: Right.</s>HARLOW: All right. There's a lot going on today. Here's "What to Watch."</s>TEXT: What to Watch... 11:00 a.m. Eastern, Obama Foundation Summit; 12:00 p.m. Eastern, 9/11 Families & Survivors in</s>NYC; 7: 10 p.m. Eastern, Sen. Kamala Harris Hosts Town Hall in Iowa