ML22241A038
| ML22241A038 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/20/2022 |
| From: | Christopher Cook, Jason Paige, Michael Waters Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research |
| To: | Eric Benner Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| S. Basturescu | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML22241A037 | List: |
| References | |
| Download: ML22241A038 (3) | |
Text
September 20, 2022 MEMORANDUM TO: Eric Benner, Director Division of Engineering and External Hazards Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM: Jason Paige, Branch Chief Long-Term Operations and Modernization Branch Division of Engineering and External Hazards Office of Nuclear Reactor Michael Waters, Branch Chief Instrumentation and Controls Branch Division of Engineering and External Hazards Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Signed by Cook, Chris Christopher Cook, Branch Chief on 09/20/22 Instrumentation, Controls, and Electrical Engineering Branch Division of Engineering Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
SUBJECT:
INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROLS LESSONS LEARNED REPORT ON BOEING 737 MAX AIRCRAFT CRASH EVENTS An Instrumentation and Control (I&C) Lessons-Learned Team has completed the enclosed summary report, Boeing 737 Crashes: Lessons Learned for NRC Digital Instrumentation and Controls Evaluation Process. This report summarizes our review of several investigative reports about the technical and regulatory lessons learned associated with the Boeing design process and Federal Aviation Administration certification process of the Boeing 737 MAX Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). The purpose of the review was to evaluate the recommendations and findings of these reports regarding failures that led to poor implementation of MCAS and two 737 MAX aircraft crashes. The report documents the staffs evaluation of the findings and recommendations from these investigative reports and considers how applicable lessons learned could be leveraged within the NRCs digital I&C regulatory process.
CONTACTS: Sergiu Basturescu, RES/DE 301-415-1237 David Rahn, NRR/DEX 301-415-1315 Ismael Garcia, NSIR/DPCP 301-415-2495
E. Benner et al. The team has determined that no significant gaps exist in the NRCs regulatory infrastructure for digital I&C licensing and inspection as related to the findings and recommendations of the investigative reports. However, the enclosed report identifies aspects of the NRCs current digital I&C regulatory program and staff organizational capabilities that should be maintained or could be further enhanced to ensure the continued safe use of evolving digital I&C technologies in regulated nuclear facilities.
The I&C team will continue to communicate and coordinate with our colleagues from the human factors, risk assessment, inspection oversight, and operational experience areas to increase awareness of the importance of these identified aspects when implementing the digital I&C regulatory program. The staff will consider the lessons and recommendations of this report during significant guidance development activities as appropriate. The staff also intends to communicate these lessons to the NRCs broader I&C community and incorporate them into the training program for I&C staff, which includes a study of major events and safety lessons relevant to I&C.
Finally, the NRC I&C community will reestablish an I&C technical review group to periodically review operational event assessments and operational experience data. This I&C review group will coordinate with our NRC operational experience colleagues as appropriate. The periodic assessments would consider operational issues or trends (if any) in digital implementation in the nuclear and other safety-focused industries, and review the lessons learned in this report, to ensure an appropriate internal safety culture and questioning attitude is maintained in our digital I&C regulatory program.
Enclosure:
As stated
ML22241A037; Memo ML22241A038 OFFICE NRR/DEX/ELTB NRR/DEX/EEOB NSIR/DPCP NRR/DEX/EEOB NAME SBasturescu SB DRahn DR IGarcia IG MWaters MW DATE Aug 30, 2022 Sep 14, 2022 Sep 13, 2022 Sep 14, 2022 OFFICE NRR/DEX/EEOB NRR/DEX/ELTB NRR/DORL/LLPB RES/DE/ICEEB JPaige NAME NCarte NC DTaneja DT CCook CC MMcConnell for MM DATE Sep 14, 2022 Sep 14, 2022 Sep 15, 2022 Sep 20, 2022