Nader Group Sues FAA Over 777 Tests

Ralph Nader’s aviation consumer group has sued the Federal Aviation Administration for certifying the world’s longest commercial airplane without requiring a full-scale passenger evacuation. The FAA certified the Boeing 777-300 based on an evacuation test of just the new passenger compartment added to the airliner, plus an analysis of data gleaned during full-scale passenger evacuations on shorter versions of the airplane. The 33-foot fuselage section added to the plane increases its capacity from 440 passengers to 550. “The FAA has moved into the world of regulatory virtual reality, choosing simulation of passenger evacuation testing over real-life confirmation,” Nader said.