Re: Boeing 737
Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2019 6:56 am
JAKARTA/SINGAPORE/PARIS (Reuters) - The pilots of a doomed Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX scoured a handbook as they struggled to understand why the jet was lurching downwards, but ran out of time before it hit the water, three people with knowledge of the cockpit voice recorder contents said.
The investigation into the crash, which killed all 189 people on board in October, has taken on new relevance as the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other regulators grounded the model last week after a second deadly accident in Ethiopia.
Investigators examining the Indonesian crash are considering how a computer ordered the plane to dive in response to data from a faulty sensor and whether the pilots had enough training to respond appropriately to the emergency, among other factors.
JAKARTA/SINGAPORE/PARIS (Reuters) - The pilots of a doomed Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX scoured a handbook as they struggled to understand why the jet was lurching downwards, but ran out of time before it hit the water, three people with knowledge of the cockpit voice recorder contents said.
The investigation into the crash, which killed all 189 people on board in October, has taken on new relevance as the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other regulators grounded the model last week after a second deadly accident in Ethiopia.
Investigators examining the Indonesian crash are considering how a computer ordered the plane to dive in response to data from a faulty sensor and whether the pilots had enough training to respond appropriately to the emergency, among other factors.
That's scary as hell. Iinm, MCAS is designed to be automatic, and some pilots say that Boeing never even told them it was implemented. They did it because the flight characteristics of the 737 Max is different from the previous 737. So, they used the system to make the planes behave similarly.
I'd bet there are not instructions in any flight manual to address the problem the pilots were having. The plane was doomed. Apparently, there was a mechanical failure with a sensor. The automated system responded the way it should, but to the wrong input, and pointed the nose down. The pilots responded normally by trying to regain level flight, but trying to pull the nose up just increased the nose down response. The airspeed increased, and the pilots were spending time looking through manuals for instructions that wouldn't be there.
At least, such a possible scenario offers solutions. Mechanical fixes are relatively easy. Adjustments to sensors can be made. Pilots can be given the proper instructions to over-ride some automated functions. I know that Boeing didn't withhold anything because they thought or knew the plane was unsafe. It's starting to seem more and more likely that they'll be sued and will be required to pay for re-training.
Note what he says about the manual.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftZ6j8onS78