This final report is in response to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) and Boeing Commercial Airplanes' (Boeing) assignment to validate the work conducted during the Boeing 787 (B787) certification process and further ensure the airplane meets the intended level of safety. On January 31, 2013, the FAA and Boeing jointly formed the B787 Critical Systems Review Team (CSRT) to conduct a comprehensive review of the B787's critical systems, including the airplane's design, manufacture, and assembly, and provide recommendations. From February 1, 2013, to July 31, 2013, the CSRT, composed...

The much-publicized budget situation in Washington requires me to spend a lot of time these days thinking about managing green ... as in, working with my fellow FAA managers to figure out how we can stretch every greenback and use our post-sequestration resources for maximum effect. Nobody likes the situation but, being an inveterate seeker of silver linings, I believe that tough times and tough choices can lead to positive outcomes. Here's what I mean. One of the common human characteristics is the tendency to avoid choices that require us to change what we are doing. We tend to put our...