Boeing says safety review corroborated its findings on a 737 MAX sensor

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

BUSINESS NEWS MAY 5, 2019 / 12:38 PM / UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO

Boeing says safety review corroborated its findings on a 737 MAX sensor

Tracy Rucinski
3 MIN READ

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Boeing Co said on Sunday that a Safety Review Board convened in late 2018 corroborated its prior conclusion that an angle-of-attack (AOA) sensor on the 737 MAX, which has suffered two fatal crashes, was not necessary for the safe operation of commercial aircraft.

In a statement following a series of negative news reports, Boeing provided greater detail on its recent decision to make the previously optional AOA Disagree alert a standard, standalone feature on the 737 MAX before the grounded jets return to service. The alert lights up when two sensors produce widely different readings.

The angle of attack measures the angle between the air flow and the wing and helps determine whether the plane is able to fly correctly. If the angle becomes too steep, the flow of air over the wing is disturbed, throwing the plane into an aerodynamic stall. That means it starts to fall instead of fly.

Although the angle itself is fundamental to flight, the industry has debated for years whether the information should be included in crowded cockpit displays because it is directly related to airspeed, which pilots already watch closely.

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ethiopia-airplane-boeing/boeing-says-safety-review-corroborated-its-findings-on-a-737-max-sensor-idUSKCN1SB0JC

[playaseeker]

1. Comes down to the Benjamins

Boeing offered two AOA sensors only as an option and the airlines didn't want to pay the money. There is some evidence in the Ethiopian crash that the AOA sensor was removed from the aircraft by a bird strike. I don't think having a single point of failure in a commercial aircraft is ever a good idea.

[YOHABLO]

2. Won't be flying in a 737 MAX 8 ..sorry. Delta stock is up, wonder why?

[Maven]

3. Boeing has lost a great deal of credibility in this affair

The decision to put an aerodynamically unstable plane on the market with secret software to keep it from stalling, was inexcusable and criminal. At the same time, they broke the cardinal rule of redundancy for critical systems, putting passengers at even greater risk.

Now they just keep spinning to excuse their actions, which is making the crisis of confidence worse. Without public trust in the integrity of their operations and commitment to safety first, aircraft manufacturers and airlines have nothing. Muilenberg should have been forced out already, but sadly malfeasance by executives is overlooked as long as profits stay strong.

[KT2000]

4. Redundancy

triple backup I guess is a thing of the past. What a shame.
The book Turbulence described how the money men came into Boeing and broke the bonds of the workers. Job survival replaced the pride and camaraderie that held safety paramount.

Boeing followed previous models set by other industries to sit on the government boards that oversee the safety of their products.
No one will be held accountable for this but the heroic story of Boeing was over a long time ago and finally finished off.

[Arkansas Pilot]

5. A pilot with 30 years of flying experience and 40 years of design experience rips decisions made by

A pilot with 30 years of flying experience and 40 years of design experience rips decisions made by Boeing and the FAA.

In the 737 Max, the engine nacelles themselves can, at high angles of attack, work as a wing and produce lift. And the lift they produce is well ahead of the wing’s center of lift, meaning the nacelles will cause the 737 Max at a high angle of attack to go to a higher angle of attack. This is aerodynamic malpractice of the worst kind.

Read more

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-04-24/mish-boeing-737-max-unsafe-fly-new-scathing-report-pilot-software-designer