Representatives from at least nine countries and regions will form part of the panel that the US Federal Aviation Administration convened for the purpose of reviewing the Boeing 737 MAX flight control software. FAA’s “Joint Authorities Technical Review” panel (JATR) will have their first meeting on the 29th of April, said the FAA on the 19th of April. The group will conclude its review in approximately 90 days, adds the FAA, signalling the Boeing 737 MAX grounding might not lift until the second half of the year. The non-US representatives include “experts” from civil aviation authorities, including those overseeing airlines that have already received, or are expecting orders for the Boeing 737 MAX. “The JATR team will conduct a comprehensive review of the certification of the aircraft’s automated flight control system,” says the FAA. “The team will evaluate aspects of the 737 Max automated flight control system, including its design and pilots’ interaction with the system, to determine its compliance with all applicable regulations and to identify future enhancements that might be needed.”

Operators and owners of Cirrus Aircraft SF50 Vision Jets have been ordered urgently to replace the aircraft's angle-of-attack sensors, after three incidents in which stall-protection systems have inappropriately activated.
The United States Federal Aviation Administration has warned that activation of the stall-warning or the electronic stability protection systems may activate even if the aircraft is flying at a normal angle-of-attack with sufficient airspeed. The FAA say's: “The noted condition presents an immediate danger to pilots and passengers of [the SF50] because an uncommanded pitch down may be difficult to recover from in some flight regimes, with potential fatal consequences".Operators will, however be allowed, to fly affected aircraft to a location where the modification work can be performed, subjected to specific procedures.
Cirrus says that, having investigated the matter, it has identified a hardware issue – not a software problem – with the angle-of-attack sensor. It also highlights that “no accidents have resulted” from the issue.

The defence chiefs of the United States and Japan are convinced that China will not be able to recover pieces of the Lockheed Martin F-35A that crashed off the coast of Japan on 9th of April 2019. Some media reports have speculated that parts of the aircraft were vulnerable to discovery by the Chinese or Russian militaries, giving those countries’ armed forces an opportunity to exploit vulnerabilities or copy the fighter’s stealth technology. Should the Chinese or the Russians recover pieces of the F-35A they might gain critical insights into its radar, electronic warfare capabilities or stealth coatings, among other important military capabilities. The US is especially protective about the stealth fighter’s capabilities given the amount of capital that have already been invested in the development of this particular aircraft and its advantages against adversaries’ radar and air defences.