The FAA reviewed the 737 Max 8 following the Lion Air crash and decided to allow it to keep flying.
Now obviously they could have made the wrong decision there, but the idea that this plane is somehow skating by with no oversight via a technicality just does not pass the smell test.
Edit to add:
The 737 Max Wikipedia page details the testing that the Max variant underwent, and links to the 737 type certificate—which devotes 38 pages to the 737-8.
Also:
> Boeing announced on February 16, 2018 that the 737 MAX 9 has received an amended type certificate (ATC) from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), officially certifying the airplane for commercial service.
> This certification marks the culmination of a successful flight test program that began in March 2017 with two Boeing flight test airplanes. The FAA certification affirms that the airplane’s handling, systems and overall performance all comply with required aviation regulations.
As someone with limited knowledge into airplane engineering/certifications, on the surface that seems wrong.
I understand (I think) that they made changes to make it essentially handle and act like the 737 therefore it can apply to the same certificate, but surely there should be some kind of time restriction on a certificate applying to new models - even ones that are "similar".
Can someone illuminate me as to why this does or does not make sense?
Boils down to money. A brand new type certificate for a big passenger jet is in the hundreds of millions of dollars in time and money. Therefore you can justify spending quite a lot on lobbying (actual and metaphorical) to get away with reusing one.
Edit: And the airlines will lobby on your behalf too. They don't want to have to certify pilots on a new type, or have yet another split of who can fly what.
The aircraft would not meet today's certification requirements as a new type