FAA's own engineers say proposed fixes to Max aren't enough
 (Bloomberg)-The union representing the Federal Aviation Administration engineers overseeing Boeing Co.'s redesign of the grounded 737 Max says the government's proposed fixes to the plane don't go far enough. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, which represents FAA engineers who review and sign off on aircraft certification, said in comments filed on Monday that the Max should have to adhere to tougher standards on cockpit alerts. Because the plane was adapted from earlier versions, portions of its design weren't required to meet the latest safety requirements. The union said that the proposed fixes to the jetliner are extensive and the most current regulations should apply. The comments are significant because they suggest that at least some of the FAA's own technical staff don't agree on the extensive proposed revisions to the plane. A whistle-blower at Boeing Co. separately urged regulators to add additional protections to the plane. The FAA has proposed multiple changes to the aircraft following the crashes that killed 346 people before allowing it to carry passengers again. Among the changes: The system that was driving the jet's nose down in both accidents would no longer activate repeatedly and various steps were taken to minimize the chances it would malfunction. The agency is also proposing to require extensive additional revisions to the plane, such as an improved flight-computer system to improve the system's redundancy. Before the FAA can mandate the fixes, it must sift through the comments, which totaled more than 200 as of Monday afternoon. The deadline for comments is the end of the day. The filings range from frightened consumers who say they won't fly on a Max to highly technical white papers by engineers. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board last week said the FAA's proposals were consistent with its recommendations on the plane issued last year, while family and friends of crash victims urged wholesale changes before the plane returns. Boeing said in a statement that it wouldn't respond to the comments on the FAA's proposed fixes. The FAA said in a statement that it would "consider all comments." Boeing closed down 2.97% to $156.35 in New York amid broad market declines. The shares tumbled a little more than 50% this year through Sept. 18, the biggest drop on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Curtis Ewbank, a whistle-blower who has previously raised concerns about the plane's design with congressional investigators, said in comments filed with the FAA that a proposal to mandate fixes to the jetliner didn't address multiple hazards identified in the two fatal Max accidents and earlier incidents. "Clearly more actions are required to revise FAA processes so that it accurately assesses airplane design and regulates in the public interest," Ewbank said in the comments, posted on the Regulations.gov website. Ewbank said the FAA and Boeing should do more to prohibit faulty readings from the sensor implicated in both crashes and improve the plane's warning systems. In addition, the agency should do a broader review of how pilots react to emergencies and do a more thorough redesign of the flight-control system, he said. The FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency are also planning to require Boeing to adopt longer-term fixes after the aircraft's return, some of which are similar to what Ewbank is seeking. A consumer group that advocates for airline passengers, Travelers United, said it supported the plane's return. "After this thorough and unprecedented review of the plane's safety, it is time to get the 737 Max planes in the air serving the flying public where they can enhance travel options for consumers and reduce carbon emissions and fuel burn," wrote the group's president, Charles Leocha. A retired Boeing engineer who said he worked on the 737 decades ago called on the company to release more technical information about the design of the system implicated in the crashes. Robert Bogash, who said he has also been involved in accident investigations, said simpler changes to the plane, such as limiting its weight and balance, could accomplish the same thing as the automated system involved in the two crashes with less risk. "Personally, none of us want another 737 accident -- we have devoted our careers to that remarkable airplane -- and my suggestions and comments are aimed at ensuring that the outcome of this prolonged grounding are as effective as possible," Bogash said. https://www.chicagobusiness.com/manufacturing/faas-own-engineers-say-proposed-fixes-max-arent-enough |
Pilots' unions urge U.S. regulator to improve cockpit
procedures for Boeing 737 MAX
The proposal about an erroneous "stick shaker" alert is among recommendations the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and the Allied Pilots Association submitted during a 45-day public comment period for proposed 737 MAX design and operating changes laid out last month by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Monday was the deadline for comments. The 737 MAX changes could pave the way for the FAA to lift a ban on the jet, potentially before year-end. The 737 MAX was grounded worldwide 18 months ago after crashes killed 346 people in Ethiopia and Indonesia. In both crashes, pilots grappled with Boeing's flawed MCAS flight control system, which repeatedly forced down the jet's nose, and multiple audio and visual warnings that included the rapid and noisy rattling of their control column known as "stick shaker" and excess speed. The proposals, which include recommendations for pilots during emergency situations, came during a U.S.-led gathering of regulators in the UK for a training review of the MAX. While the FAA is in charge of certifying the MAX, other regulators like Transport Canada and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) could add different training requirements as part of their validation of the aircraft. ALPA proposed steps that would allow flight crews to identify and pull a circuit breaker to stop the stick shaker after they confirm an alert is erroneous, echoing an earlier recommendation by Transport Canada. Separately, the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines' pilots, also asked on Monday for a checklist to disable erroneous stick shaker activation as well as an overspeed warning. The union said the FAA should condense a checklist for dealing with a loss of control called runaway stabilizer to help pilots "more rapidly isolate the problem." Among other comments, the National Transportation Safety Board has called the FAA's proposed changes "positive progress," while crash victims' families have said Boeing's changes to MCAS do not address the jet's underlying aerodynamic problem. Meanwhile, Boeing whistleblower Curtis Ewbank has urged additional protections, while the British Airlines Pilots Association has called for Boeing to add a third "angle of attack" sensor to the jet. https://www.yahoo.com/news/worlds-largest-pilots-union-asks-214753033.html |
American Airlines plans pilot training on Boeing 737 Max in
November
The jets were grounded worldwide in March 2019 after two crashes killed 346 people, prompting software and other changes on the aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration is going through some of the last steps that would allow the planes to fly again but hasn't provided a specific timeline. The FAA last month issued the safety changes needed for the planes to return to service. Public comments on those changes are due Monday. An American Airlines spokesman said that the company hasn't made any "definitive plans" on the Max and that the pilot training date can be adjusted based on regulators' work. "With the planned return to service for our B737 MAX aircraft in the near future, we will begin conducting B737 MAX Special Training for our B737 pilots," Ameya Kingaonkar, director of flight training planning and scheduling, said in a pilot memo, which was seen by CNBC. Kingaonkar said that the company expects to train all of its 737 pilots on the Max by the end of January. Southwest and United said they didn't have any updates on potential 737 Max pilot training. "We are awaiting the FAA's guidance regarding the Max, and that guidance will drive our future timelines," a Southwest spokesman said. The 737 Max, while fuel-efficient, would return to air travel running at just a fraction of last year's levels because of the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, the Transportation Security Administration screened 4.9 million people at U.S. airports, down about 5% from the previous week and nearly 70% lower than a year ago. Airline stocks were down sharply on Monday as concerns over possible further Covid-19 restrictions in Europe amid more outbreaks of the virus. |
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