Before Ethiopian Crash, Boeing Resisted Pilots' Calls for Aggressive Steps on 737 Max

Last edited Tue May 14, 2019, 10:28 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: New York Times


From the New York Times:

Michael Michaelis, an American pilot, argued that Boeing should push the F.A.A. to issue what is known as an emergency airworthiness directive.

The F.A.A. had already issued one directive after the Lion Air crash, instructing airlines to revise their flight manuals to include information on how to respond to a malfunction of the anti-stall system known as MCAS. But Mr. Michaelis pushed Boeing to consider calling for an additional one to update the software.

Such a procedure would have required Boeing and airlines in the United States to take immediate action to ensure the safety of the Max, and would have likely taken the jet out of service temporarily.

“My question to you, as Boeing, is why wouldn’t you say this is the smartest thing to do?” Mr. Michaelis said. “Say we’re going to do everything we can to protect that traveling public in accordance with what our pilots unions are telling us.”


Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/14/business/boeing-737-max-ethiopian-plane-crash.html