A simulator test was conducted as part of the FAA's efforts to ensure that the aircraft could be made safe to fly again. The test was designed to see how quickly pilots could react to the faulty software.
In its report on Friday,
the Senate committee said that based on "corroborated whistleblower information and testimony during interviews of FAA staff", it concluded that FAA and Boeing officials involved in the test had "established a pre-determined outcome to reaffirm a long-held human factor assumption related to pilot reaction time".
"Boeing officials inappropriately coached test pilots in the MCAS simulator testing contrary to testing protocol," it said. "It appears, in this instance, FAA and Boeing were attempting to cover up important information that may have contributed to the 737 Max tragedies."
The report cited a whistleblower who claimed that Boeing officials prompted test pilots to use a particular control immediately before an exercise.
It comes after
the FAA last month cleared Boeing's 737 Max plane to fly again. It said existing aircraft would need to be modified before going back into service, with changes to their design, while pilots would need retraining.
US Senate investigators find problems with tests conducted in the wake of two deadly crashes.
www.bbc.com
I'm feeling good about those planes right about now.