Boeing releases safety directive to 737 MAX operators
Boeing is responding to the loss of a Lion Air 737 MAX 8 and its initial data findings by releasing a safety directive to operators of the 737 MAX family.
The crash of Lion Air flight JT610 left 189 people dead and families and friends demanding answers, so finding out exactly what happened is crucial to everyone.
Boeing’s 737 MAX safety directive will inform airlines that inaccurate readings from flight monitoring systems causes the aircraft to suddenly dive because of it thinking a stall is approaching. Instructions will be in place for pilots to follow should the problem occur.
Indonesian authorities involved in the investigation of the crash and Boeing engineering teams have outlined the fact that the crashed aircraft experienced inaccurate information from its angle-of-attack sensors. Additionally, the National Transportation Safety Committee of Indonesia believes the aircraft operated with faulty airspeed indications during its previous four flights.
Data displays the aircraft rapidly descending shortly after takeoff before air traffic control and data collecting services lost contact with the aircraft. At the time of the incident, PK-LQP, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was only two months old and had accumulated approximately 800 hours of flight time.
CFM – a joint venture between Snecma and General Electric – believe the engines were operating normally at the time of the crash, despite the fact the turbine and compressor sections are still missing. Wreckage analysis of the aircraft alone indicate it did not break up or explode while in the air.
At this time, no other information is available regarding the safety directive other than the fact that it’s the first action towards preventing a similar incident and working out what caused this one.
Correction. My last comment was meant for Aaron Hilsz-Lothian. Sorry Aaron!
Sam, I can appreciate your enthusiasm. You sound like a genuine aviation geek and I really enjoyed your article. However, you make it sound as though you are an old timer in the aviation industry when you describe your first experience with an A380, “I’ve developed a vast amount of knowledge over the years”. Taking into account that age can be a relative concept for some, unless what you observed was a prototype or test flight, the A380 flight you observed was probably no more than 10 years ago. If you were only a child then, you can’t be much more than an adolescent today! 🙂 That’s not a point of criticism, just an observation. I’m encouraged to know that there are young people like yourself out there with a genuine passion for aviation and a thirst for knowledge. Keep up the good work! Cheers, Don S.- Retired Boeing Systems Engineer.