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Boeing altered key switches in 737 MAX cockpit limiting ability to shut off MCAS

seattletimes.com

271–280 of 341 posts

Re: Boeing altered key switches in 737 MAX cockpit limiting ability to shut off MCAS

#271

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The linked article says why, but to paraphrase, the training has always said to flip both switches. Previously the only time you’d need to flip the switches was due to an electric motor being stuck-on. It’s only with the MAX that there was an actual useful reason to flip one vs the other, but the training was always to flip both and Boeing decided to simplify it. My personal guess is that it was internally totally di…

Just to spare others from the search: Before 2004, those Boeing technical employees who worked safety on behalf of the FAA were called “Designated Engineering Representatives,” or DERs. Though paid by Boeing, they were appointed by the FAA and reported directly to their technical counterparts at the FAA. What changed since 2004 is that safety engineers, now called Authorized Representatives, are appointed by and repo…

Thanks! Spot on source and agree, it’s a good read.

Re: Boeing altered key switches in 737 MAX cockpit limiting ability to shut off MCAS

#272
post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Airlines have no choice Anecdotal: I know of at least one family that booked a trip on a non-Boeing airline, at additional cost, to avoid risking being on a Max. Imagine that after the Max is back in service, that there is a serious incident in the first few months - it doesn't have to be fatal, just a close call of some kind - how many more customers will avoid the Max at all costs?

How do you know the plane model before you board? It's not shown when buying the ticket, it's not written on the ticket either.

Delta showed me when buying online. Let me select seats too.

Re: Boeing altered key switches in 737 MAX cockpit limiting ability to shut off MCAS

#273
post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Count one more please. Searched for flight, saw Boing 737, no thank you! Paid premium for Airbus. That’s for three passengers.

You know the 737 and the 737 MAX are two completely different planes right?

I'm not going to fly on any 737, just in case the MAX bit gets truncated. Everyone I've talked to has expressed the same fear. I don't care if it's irrational or not - it's my life, and I'm not risking it on one of these stupid, cost-cutting planes.

Re: Boeing altered key switches in 737 MAX cockpit limiting ability to shut off MCAS

#274
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What is the endgame now for 737 MAX planes? The bugs will be addressed and they'll still fly. Airlines have no choice, there's a limited capacity in the world for airplane construction, several thousands of orders on the books for the 737 and 320 waiting to be filled. What can an airline do? They can cut back some orders but not all orders. > I'd honestly like to see the 737 MAX taken out of service and Boeing simp…

> Airlines have no choice, there's a limited capacity in the world for airplane construction, No choice? It's a choice between risking passengers' lives and money. Be real about what the choice is.

If we're being real about the choice, then you also have to include the reality that many airlines would go under if they suddenly had to retire their MAX 8 fleet and weren't immediately able to replace them with other aircraft. A great many more people would have their lives severely impacted by the closure of a major airline than by a plane crash.

Re: Boeing altered key switches in 737 MAX cockpit limiting ability to shut off MCAS

#275
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What is the endgame now for 737 MAX planes? The bugs will be addressed and they'll still fly. Airlines have no choice, there's a limited capacity in the world for airplane construction, several thousands of orders on the books for the 737 and 320 waiting to be filled. What can an airline do? They can cut back some orders but not all orders. > I'd honestly like to see the 737 MAX taken out of service and Boeing simp…

> The bugs will be addressed and they'll still fly. The engines are mounted incorrectly, so much so that Boeing believed pilots need the assistance of MCAS on take-off now. The bug isn't with its algorithms, rather the need for MCAS to begin with. They can't "address" it. That's why I'll be very careful not to ever book a flight on a 737 Max, probably easier to simply stick to Airbus-only airlines: Jetblue, Alaska/Vi…

Did they change to require MCAS on take-off? Last I heard, MCAS was disabled at an altitude before 400 feet

Re: Boeing altered key switches in 737 MAX cockpit limiting ability to shut off MCAS

#276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As others have stated, I will not be booking a ticket on a 737 max, period. Granted I might not be a typical discount shopper, I pick flights based on comfort, not price and have checked the aircraft/airframe I will be in for years. However, I have a tough time seeing anyone I know taking a risk with flying the 737 max for a 10% discount in fares. Typically, fuel costs to the airline can be estimated at 10-20% of the…

You are not guaranteed to fly on the model of airplane stated when you buy the ticket. This guarantee would be highly impractical because the airline would only have a limited ability to supply a replacement plane when the scheduled one is unavailable. So if push comes to shove, airlines will stop telling you what model of airplane they plan to use at all.

And we – those of us concerned and those who like voting with our feet – will stop using airlines with 737 max aircrafts in their fleet.

Re: Boeing altered key switches in 737 MAX cockpit limiting ability to shut off MCAS

#277
post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Airlines have no choice Anecdotal: I know of at least one family that booked a trip on a non-Boeing airline, at additional cost, to avoid risking being on a Max. Imagine that after the Max is back in service, that there is a serious incident in the first few months - it doesn't have to be fatal, just a close call of some kind - how many more customers will avoid the Max at all costs?

How do you know the plane model before you board? It's not shown when buying the ticket, it's not written on the ticket either.

You can avoid airlines that have the 737 MAX in their fleet (domestically, the biggest are United, Southwest and American). Whenever I fly I fly Delta, and I’ll never fly on a MAX because Delta doesn’t have any.

Re: Boeing altered key switches in 737 MAX cockpit limiting ability to shut off MCAS

#279
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What is the endgame now for 737 MAX planes? The bugs will be addressed and they'll still fly. Airlines have no choice, there's a limited capacity in the world for airplane construction, several thousands of orders on the books for the 737 and 320 waiting to be filled. What can an airline do? They can cut back some orders but not all orders. > I'd honestly like to see the 737 MAX taken out of service and Boeing simp…

> The bugs will be addressed and they'll still fly. The engines are mounted incorrectly, so much so that Boeing believed pilots need the assistance of MCAS on take-off now. The bug isn't with its algorithms, rather the need for MCAS to begin with. They can't "address" it. That's why I'll be very careful not to ever book a flight on a 737 Max, probably easier to simply stick to Airbus-only airlines: Jetblue, Alaska/Vi…

MCAS isn't even active during take-off: as long as the flaps are extended, it does not activate.

Re: Boeing altered key switches in 737 MAX cockpit limiting ability to shut off MCAS

#280
post #203
post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn’t they eventually all freeze at roughly the same position when the AoA doesn’t change for a while? Can’t they be heated?

They are heated now, after the Air France loss. This incident was also the reason for the MCAS system in the first hand: "Don't trust the pilot, regulate it into safety by your own".

Are you referring to AF447? According to the BEA incident report, the AF447 plane was already equipped with heating systems for the pitot probes and AoA sensors.

"1.6.9.1 Probe heating The probes that are installed on the aircraft are heated electrically to remove water by vaporisation when the aeroplane is on the ground and to protect them from icing in flight."

Reference: https://www.bea.aero/docspa/2009/f-cp090601.en/pdf/f-cp09060...

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