After two deadly crashes in five months, Boeing Co. is launching a campaign to restore confidence in the 737 Max so that its best-selling jet can return to the skies.
The company confirmed Wednesday it will make a safety feature standard on its now-grounded 737 MAX that might have warned earlier of problems that possibly played a role in two fatal crashes.
The plane has been grounded since mid-March following the deadly accidents where a part of the aircraft’s flight control system is suspected of causing, at least in part, the crashes that killed all 346 people aboard the jets.
In a call with media that offered an update on 737 MAX software and training, Boeing's vice-president of product and development for its commercial division, Mike Sinnett, cited three proposed updates to the system known as MCAS, or Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System.
The first will see the MCAS compare information from both the sensors that establish the "angle of attack" (AOA), a measurement that determines how close a plane is to stalling. The previous set-up only linked the MCAS to one sensor at a time, ignoring the other.
If both sensors disagree by 5.5 degrees or more with the flaps retracted, the MCAS will not activate. This, Boeing said, "will eliminate the chance of erroneous data causing MCAS activation".
Next, Boeing said the MCAS will only be activated once per instance during sensor disagreements or what it described as a “non-normal condition”.
“There are no known or envisioned failure conditions where MCAS will provide multiple inputs,” it added.
Thirdly, the MCAS can never command more stabilizer input than can be counteracted by the flight crew pulling back on the control yoke.
“Pilots continue to always have the ability to override MCAS and manually control the airplane.
“The software was put through hundreds of hours of analysis, laboratory testing, verification in a simulator and two test flights, including an in-flight certification test with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) representatives on board as observers,” said Boeing.
There will also be changes to the 737 MAX’s primary display in the cockpit with an updated configuration to include an alert if the AOA disagrees. In addition, an optional indicator is available for customers who wish to have an electronic AOA indicator on the primary display. Sinnett said that 20 percent of Boeing’s 737 MAX customers are keen on including the latter to their aircraft fleet.
Additional training will be implemented in light of the MCAS updates, said Boeing. This includes computer-based training and manual reviews. The course is designed to provide 737 pilots with “an enhanced understanding” of the MCAS function, crew procedures, and software changes.
Boeing said that currently, to earn 737 type rating, pilots must complete a course lasting a minimum of 21 days. This includes instructor-led classes and simulator training.
All 737 MAX pilots must complete the additional training prior to returning to flight, the company stated.
The airframer said its next steps include engagement and feedback with customers and regulators.
However, certification of the updated software is at the discretion of the respective regulators, though it will be first be certified and “scrutinized” by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“The rigor and thoroughness of the design and testing that went into the 737 MAX MCAS update give us confidence in its safety. We look forward to working with all our 737 MAX customers as they implement this upgrade - from the software installation through crew training,” said Sinnett.
Sinnet assured that the upgrade will tackle all issues the company is aware of to ensure that aspects of functionality are correct. Boeing is working openly and transparently to deliver the planned change, thus the process of flying back will be determined by regulators, the statement added.
It also confirmed that relevant parties were looking at the present data and trying to understand it in order to make any potential improvements in the behavior of systems that could provide safer air travel and prevent tragic accidents from happening again.
On restoring customer and passengers confidence, Sinnet highlighted the necessity of understanding the changes required to restore faith in 737 MAX. For that purpose, he said Boeing would work directly with customers and regulators to ensure safety, address all issues, and demonstrate commitment to safety.
