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A Southwest Airlines pilot clarifies the technical details of the Boeing 737 MAX's Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). The system relies on Angle of Attack (AOA) sensors and can trigger "runaway trim," a condition pilots should be trained to handle manually. Boeing is criticized for failing to include MCAS details in initial training materials, leading to inadequate responses from flight crews in the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines disasters.
The FBI has joined a criminal investigation into the certification process of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 following two fatal crashes. Reports indicate that a sensor malfunction triggered the MCAS anti-stall system, repeatedly pushing the aircraft's nose down. In the Lion Air flight preceding the crash, a jump-seat pilot reportedly identified the issue and instructed the crew on how to stabilize the plane by cutting the trim stabs.
A preliminary report on the Lion Air Flight 610 crash identifies the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) as a primary factor. The automated anti-stall system repeatedly forced the plane's nose down based on faulty sensor data, and pilots were reportedly not trained on how to disable it. The hosts discuss Boeing's decision to outsource avionics and the potential for massive legal liability.
The investigation into the Lion Air crash has focused on the Boeing 737 Max's automated flight control system, which can force the aircraft's nose down to avoid a stall. Pilots' unions have expressed outrage that this specific software change was not highlighted in training manuals. There are also questions regarding Boeing's decision to bring avionics development in-house after years of outsourcing to India, and whether this transition contributed to the certification oversight.
