FAA News
FAA Criticized For Relaxing Fuel Tank Rules
The Seattle Times (2/8, Gates) reported, "The FAA proposes to relax the safeguards for preventing sparks inside the fuel tank during a lightning strike, standards the agency now calls 'impractical' and Boeing says its soon-to-fly 787 Dreamliner cannot meet." According to the article, this was done "quietly." Rather than "requiring three independent protection measures for any feature that could cause sparking, the revised policy would allow some parts to have just one safeguard," which "has stirred intense opposition inside the local FAA office from the technical specialists...responsible for certifying new airplane designs."
