Boeing relied on single sensor for 737 Max that had been flagged 216 times to FAA

[crazytown]

Last edited Wed May 1, 2019, 04:07 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: CNN

Washington(CNN) The device linked to the Boeing 737 Max software that has been scrutinized after two deadly crashes was previously flagged in more than 200 incident reports submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration, but Boeing did not flight test a scenario in which it malfunctioned, CNN has learned.

The angle-of-attack (AOA) sensor, as it's known, sends data to a 737 Max software system that pushes the nose of the aircraft down if it senses an imminent stall. That software, triggered by erroneous data from AOA sensors, is believed to have played a role in crashes of Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines jets.

Former Boeing engineers and aviation analysts interviewed by CNN have criticized Boeing's original software design for relying on data from a single AOA sensor, claiming that those devices are vulnerable to defects.

FAA data analyzed by CNN supports that assessment.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/30/politics/boeing-sensor-737-max-faa/index.html

[sandensea]

1. The wonders of self-regulation

[Little Star]

2. I pray any and all lawsuits prevail!!

Boeing deserves no less!

[LiberalArkie]

3. The accounting Dept said 1 would be ok.

[dalton99a]

9. +1

[IronLionZion]

4. Wrong Link

Try this one https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/30/politics/boeing-sensor-737-max-faa/index.html

[crazytown]

6. Fixed. Thank you.

[moondust]

5. CEO's yearly bonus

always comes first. Extra sensors and testing might have cost him a million or two.

[Sherman A1]

7. One can only hope at this point that 2 things happen

1). These aircraft are scrapped and 2). That the lives of the Boeing Executives are filled with lawyers for years to come.

[Jedi Guy]

11. If they install a second AOA sensor the planes wouldn't need to be scrapped outright.

As a practical matter, though, I don't see the Max 8 flying again. The aircraft's reputation is destroyed at this point, and I doubt it can be salvaged.

Same thing for Boeing's reputation. Penny wise, pound foolish. The lawsuits and lost revenue will far, far outpace what they'd have spent on adding a backup sensor package. Or, for that matter, covering the entire damn plane in sensors.

[Sherman A1]

12. I believe that the engine placement

changing the center of gravity is pretty much a bad design choice. An airliner should at the very least be a safe, stable platform and not require a host of sensors and software to overcome poor choices of the design team attempt to stretch an airframe into something that it should not be attempting. So Yes, I believe they should be dismantled in place and hauled to a scrap yard.

I hope that the Max 8 never goes into the air again and that as mentioned previously Boeing has a "wonderful" future filled with lawyers.

[mpcamb]

8. Have things run by a) regulators or b) accountants... Hmmm I pick a).

[Jedi Guy]

10. Who in the hell relies on a single sensor?

Especially a sensor that can autonomously change the flight characteristics of an aircraft? What happened to the principal of redundancy in critical functions?

When this is working its way through the courts, it won't surprise me if the engineers suggested two sensors and management told them to just use one in order to save on manufacturing costs. There ought to be a paper trail of discussions on that topic. If I were one of the engineers, I'd be feverishly digging through my email to find it.

Boeing is in big trouble, and well they should be. This is criminally negligent design, or criminally stupid design. There's no other way to describe it.