Aviation News, Headlines & Alerts
 
Month: <span>March 2019</span>

MCAS At the forefront of Boeing 737 MAX Controversy


Everything that is essential to a plane’s operation should be included in pilot training. The pilot must know his tools backward and forward. What happens when that training is curtailed?

On March 19th, the US Department of Transportation announced that its inspector general will audit the 737 Max 8’s certification process. Some pilots say they know how to address problems with the 737 Max 8’s maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS) system. Pilots say the MCAS software system can (apparently) be disabled by hitting the trim switch on the control column. Difference training is required for pilots who fly the Max, but apparently (MCAS) explanations, operations, procedures related to the differences were left out of the manual. The flight manual of Boeing’s 737 Max 8 planes mentions MCAS computer system only once. If MCAS information was cut from the manual to prevent the MCAS from having to be included in 737 Max transition training, whoever cut it considered only that it would save 737 Max operators training costs, but not what it would cost in terms of human lives.

LionAir Flight Updated


On the flight prior the LionAir accident flight on the Boeing Max registered as PK-LQP, an off-duty fully-qualified Boeing 737-MAX 8 pilot was traveling home on flight JT-43. The plane encountered problems similar to the next flight that crashed it (i.e. the LionAir accident flight from Denpasar to Jakarta.) The crew aboard the earlier flight managed to land the aircraft at the destination. Based on the crew’s entry in the AFML, the engineer at Jakarta flushed the left Pitot Air Data Module (ADM) and static ADM to rectify the reported IAS and ALT disagree and cleaned the electrical connector plug of the elevator feel computer. The aircraft was subsequently released to carry out flight JT610.(A different crew manned the fatal flight.) The pilot was interviewed by the Kantor Komite Nasional Keselamatan Transportasi–Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia (KNKT). The KNKT committee is responsible for investigating and reporting air transportation system accidents, serious incidents and safety deficiencies involving air transportation system operations in Indonesia.

The KNKT estimates that the release of the final report for Lion B38M in August or September 2019.

The KNKT is cooperating with Ethiopian Authorities but will make no official comment. News media reports suggest that on the earlier LionAir flight, a third pilot had occupied the observer’s seat in the cockpit of flight JT-43 and that this pilot identified the automatic trim runaway issue at hand and initiated that the trim cut out switches be used.

The preliminary report on the LionAir crash is located HERE.


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FAA Statement on Boeing 737 Max

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The FAA is ordering the temporary grounding of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft operated by U.S. airlines or in U.S. territory. See PDF grounding 737 MaxThe agency made this decision as a result of the data gathering process and new evidence collected at the site and analyzed today. This evidence, together with newly refined satellite data available to FAA this morning, led to this decision.
The grounding will remain in effect pending further investigation, including examination of information from the aircraft’s flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders. An FAA team is in Ethiopia assisting the NTSB as parties to the investigation of the Flight 302 accident. The agency will continue to investigate.

Laser Douglas crashes in Colombia

A Laser Aereo Colombia Douglas DC-3 en route from San Jose del Guaviare to Villavicencio declared emergency on approach to Villavicencio. The plane crashed on a rural dirt road near Villavicencio and burst into flames. All of the fourteen aboard perished. The mayor of Taraira, Meta, was traveling on the crashed plane. Pilot Jaime Carrillo, co-pilot Jaime Herrera and aviation technician Álex Moreno also died in the crash.

In 1945, this plane served in the US Navy and AirForce.

The telephone line 311 564 3040 has been set up for information and assistance to the families of the victims. Both Laser and the insurer will be assisting the families of the victims of this incident,” the communication states.

Ethiopian Boeing 737-8 MAX Crash in Bishoftu Ethiopia

Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX Flight ET-302 had just taken off from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia en route to Nairobi Kenya when radar contact was lost, and the plane crashed. 149 passengers and 8 crew were lost. The impact occurred near Bishoftu, Ethiopia 17 m SSE of Addis Ababa. Ethiopian Airlines announced that no survivors were found. People from 33 different countries were aboard.
On Mar 10th 2019 Ethiopian Airlines reported that the crew reported difficulties and requested a return to Addis Ababa.

BBC Africa reported aboard were 32 Kenyan, 18 Canadian, 9 Ethiopian,8 Chinese, 8 Italian, 8 American,7 French, 7 British, 6 Egyptian, 5 Dutch, 4 UN passports, 4 Indian, 3 Russian, 2 Moroccan, 2 Israeli, 1 Belgian, 1 Ugandan, 1 Yemeni, 1 Sudanese, 1 Togolese, 1 Mozambican, 1 Norwegian

Ethiopian Airlines said:


Boeing said:

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