The former Federal Aviation Administration chief accused...

The former Federal Aviation Administration chief accused the Transportation Department of having a plodding rule-making process that he likened to “a maddening shell and pea game.” Donald D. Engen told the Senate Commerce aviation subcommittee that while he headed FAA, the Transportation Department sometimes added months to the time his agency needed to implement new air safety regulations. The FAA is a branch of the department. “There were times as administrator that I viewed this as a maddening shell and pea game effort on the part of some” on the transportation secretary’s staff, Engen said in written testimony. Transportation Department officials rejected Engen’s contentions and distributed documents that they said challenged some of the claims he made. Engen left his job July 2, saying he had resigned for personal reasons.