737 max

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RRJetPilot
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Re: 737 max

Post by RRJetPilot »

3-4 months most likely.
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altiplano
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Re: 737 max

Post by altiplano »

yycflyguy wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 2:06 pm
Guilden wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 12:54 am Hey Boeing, Airspeed Unreliable QRC:

1. Autopilot (if engaged)...Disengage
2. Autothrottle (if engaged)..Disengage
3. STAB TRIM CUTOUT switches...CUTOUT

Etc Etc


PROBLEM SOLVED.
That's not the drill for Airspeed Unreliable at AC. That is close to the Runaway Stab Trim Drill except you left out attempting to reverse the trim electrically first then the CUTOUT switches, then grabbing the trim wheel and manually reversing the trim.

The MCAS system is only active with flaps up in manual flight (No AP).
Maybe he's saying do the stab trim cutout for airspeed unreliable too, so you don't end up getting pushed over by a bad airspeed indication or air data indication.

The pitch/power settings are goofy on that drill too... used to be "establish normal pitch/power", or something to that effect... I guess some guys don't know what normal is though...
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goingnowherefast
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Re: 737 max

Post by goingnowherefast »

We're all still assuming it's the MCAS. Until they actually look at the FDR, everybody is guessing.
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Fanblade
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Re: 737 max

Post by Fanblade »

https://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2019/ ... ts/584941/

Don’t ground the aircraft. Ground the pilots.

In the days since the horrific Ethiopian Airlines crash, I have received a lot of email from pilots, aircraft engineers, and others with experience in aviation. These have been in response to three previous posts: first here, then here, then most recently here (with quotes from pilots’ observations about the Boeing 737 Max via NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System).

While I sift through the other messages, let me start with one from a highly experienced pilot and flight instructor. His name is Wally Magathan, and he has worked as an airline pilot, an Air Force pilot and C-5 Galaxy flight instructor, and an instructor in airline L-1011 flight-simulators. I know him through COPA, the organization of pilots and owners of Cirrus’s small single-engine airplanes.

 With Magathan’s permission, I quote a post from him, offering a professional’s view of risk-management after these two Boeing 737 Max tragedies.

(For brief background, and as a reminder: the Boeing 737 Max has different handling characteristics from previous 737 models, because its engines are in a different place on the wings. This new engine placement increased the tendency of the plane to “pitch up”—that is, to point its nose upward, in a way that could increase the risk of aerodynamic stall. The MCAS system was added to offset this tendency, when detected and when the plane was being hand-flown, by automatically pointing the nose back down. The main hypothesis about last fall’s Lion Air crash, in Indonesia, is that this MCAS system went out of control, because of a failed sensor reading, and pushed the nose down, down, down, until the plane plunged into the sea. The main question after that crash was whether the Lion Air pilots had been appropriately informed about how MCAS worked, and trained on how to turn it off. No one yet is sure whether the same problem was part of the recent Ethiopian Airlines crash.)

Magathan says this about training, design flaws, and who should be grounded, when:

 -Boeing’s design deficiency [JF note: having to add the MCAS, to offset the pitch-up problem] sets up the need for pilot training on how to overcome it.

-Boeing’s failure to highlight the change resulted in no specific MCAS pilot training.

Those two big mistakes, it now appears, likely caused two tragic major catastrophes. Shame on Boeing if the final analysis bears these points out.

The corrective action is simple and within the capabilities of any competent airline captain to execute. Certainly easier than dealing with an engine fire or loss of multiple hydraulic systems.

There is a broad spectrum of abilities in any group of pilots, and without an emphasis training, some of them will be unable to overcome the design deficiency, even if the emergency procedure is simple to carry out. All the lights and buzzers going off will freeze the less capable pilot who has not been trained to drill down to what is going on, and to flip the switch. Training has to be to the lowest level of ability, if you’re operating an airline with any significant number of pilots. They all can't be Sully Sullenbergers.

To me, from the standpoint of an airline pilot, there was no need to ground the fleet. Just ground each and every 737MAX pilot until he or she has been trained on the MCAS.

After two accidents, require a week in the simulator—for overkill to make sure it penetrates even the dimmest bulbs. But nobody flies again until they have it. In effect that grounds the fleet, but only so long as the training takes. At the same time, regulatory bodies can require Boeing to eliminate the design deficiency so that the training on the MCAS need not be so intense, a process that could take months if not years.

But if I were speaking as a non-flying member of the public, and as a politician who must answer to them, I would say: ground the fleet now. As far as the public is concerned, the industry had its chance and blew it. I would have no confidence in the plane nor the industry until an explanation is found and the design changed. Nor would I buy a ticket on such a plane.

Once the public pressure became too great, the grounding of the fleet was inevitable—but not because the plane is unsafe when flown by a properly trained crew. Boeing will pay a price for this, if the final analysis holds these accidents would not have occurred in a 737 model that had no MCAS.

Obviously (as I know from the inbox) other pilots and engineers have a range of views. But I thought this was a particularly lucid description of the relationship between technology and training, and about the difference between views from inside the industry and reactions from outside.Please read on for another message from another airline pilot, which has just come in

I have heard from a person who now flies 737s as a captain for a major U.S. airline, and who has worked over the decades as a crash investigator on projects for NASA, the FAA, and the Air Lines Pilots Association. In those roles, he says, he has “read and analyzed thousands of ASRS reports.” He has a cautionary note about current coverage of the 737 Max.

He begins by referring to some of the ASRS reports I was quoting, including one that is harshly critical of Boeing (and that has been cited in many newspaper reports). This pilot writes:

It seems to me that the media in general has grossly, and frankly irresponsibly, mischaracterized this data.

I believe it is almost certain that the two reports [JF note: among those I quoted] describing a pitch down when the autopilot was engaged are describing the same event; one is from the captain, one from the FO [First Officer — the pilot sitting in the right-hand seat in the cockpit, and with three strips on the epaulet, versus four for the captain]. This is an artifact of the ASRS de-identification structure [i.e., removing personally identifying info from the reports].

In any event, MCAS is not supposed to be operative with the autopilot engaged. Further, when MCAS operates, it will move the pitch trim wheel. Neither report discusses any unwanted trim motion. Ergo, this does not represent an actual MCAS malfunction. It would actually have been useful to know whether this crew made any maintenance logbook entries about this incident.

The report discussing the auto throttle malfunction also has no bearing on MCAS; there is no relationship between them.

I could go on at length about my concurrence with the report discussing Boeing’s failure to include the MCAS material in the [flight manual]; however, that report also does not represent an actual MCAS malfunction. Ditto for the first officer who felt unprepared.

There was an additional report included in the original package put out by various media outlets, which you did not include. I assume that’s because you have done your own homework … This one described an intermediate level off at FL 340 when they had been cleared to FL 360; this occurred because the crew had failed to update the FMC [Flight Management Computer] with the new cruise altitude. Everybody has done that at one time or another. This, too, has no bearing on the MCAS problem.

It has been enormously distressing for me to see material such as these ASRS reports used as proof that there was some kind of hidden problem being covered up by the powers that be. That may still be true (I rather doubt it, but in the accident investigation world, rule no. 1 is never fall in love with your pet theory). We have a real problem here, and its resolution will require accurate, careful and probably very technical analysis. The media firestorm has created a very difficult atmosphere within which to do that work.

At this point, the principal problem we face in resolving the issue lies in defining the criteria we will use to return the Max to flight status. Unlike the previous groundings of the DC-10, ATR, Concorde and 787, the Max was grounded without any clear technical understanding.

As such, there is no clear technical path to follow in order to restore it to flying. If the Ethiopian accident does indeed mirror the Lion Air case (which I also consider very unlikely, but…) then that path will be clear but very, very painful and arduous.

If, on the other hand, the two are not related, then we will have to develop a technical rationale for returning the aircraft to flight with not one, but two unrelated and still open accident investigations. We are really in uncharted territory….

For example, if, as Simon Hradecky has reported on his Aviation Herald website, the Ethiopian crew encountered an unreliable airspeed situation, then a poor handling of that condition could have actually triggered a genuine, proper operation of the MCAS. The presence of that data point in the DFDR data [Digital Flight Data Recorder, roughly approximating “the black box”] will muddy the waters almost impossibly for the media, politicians, and certainly for Trump. And yet it would represent a scenario very different from what we know so far about Lion Air.

I’ll add that while this has been going on, we also have an open investigation into the Atlas 767 crash at Houston. [This was a cargo flight crash, near Houston, last month that killed the three crew members aboard. But it was in a type of plane, a Boeing 767, also used by airlines.]

In that case, we know that some manner of elevator deflection led to a pitch down to 49˚. There are plenty of 767’s still flying passengers, so this, too, is a very critical investigation. Yet, as far as I can tell, the NY Times has not run a single story on this that has not been authored by either Reuters or the AP. [JF note: The Washington Post has also mainly run AP coverage; the Wall Street Journal has had some storiesby its own staff.] This is incredibly disturbing, as it strongly suggests a primary interest in body count and sensationalism, as opposed to genuine public interest.
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Victory
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Re: 737 max

Post by Victory »

Are any of the Airbus narrow bodies ETOPS certified? Or is it just 777, 787, 767, 330 now that can do Hawaii (and St. Johns to London)? Can Rouge 767's be switched to Hawaii and narrowbody Airbus cover their South America flying?
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TheStig
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Re: 737 max

Post by TheStig »

Great article Fanblade.

The two ETOPS A319's that previously operated YYT/YHZ-LHR were transferred to rouge. No Rouge Airbus pilots are ETOPS qualified but that's not to say that they couldn't be.

All options are being looked at because of the uncertainty involving just how long the MAX fleet will be grounded. It's hard to even describe just how much effort goes into fleet planning, heavy maintenance, lease renewals and retirements, staffing, crew training, vacation alotments, gate space, route planning; everything is you can imagine has its foundations planned a year or more in advance. The entire business revolves around a set fleet and now in a matter of days everything needs to be reworked and for who knows how long? Remember, AC isn't just grounding 24 airplanes, but 36(?) that were planned to be in the fleet this summer.

The 777 and 787 fleets have been picking up lots of the slack. All non-essential maintenance such as WIFI installation can be deferred. The rouge 767 fleet should be able to carry more load after spring break. EMJ's and A320's can stay longer than planned, RRA joining the rouge fleet probably wont do any regional flying (this would be outside of the scope language however..) It will be interesting to see how this situation is managed in the mid-term over the next few months leading up to and through the summer.
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altiplano
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Re: 737 max

Post by altiplano »

One thing I believe would make managing this 747 grounding much easier is fleet/crew consistency.

ie. RRA/LCC/Mainline fleet and pilots all being one. Particularly the 320 fleet. But 767 too...

More crews available to work on more fins with more flexibility.

We have ETOPs qualified crews? oh, but the fins are at Rouge... we have an LCC fin that can fly in YVR? but the crew dutied out and went to the hotel, and there are only mainline pilots there... we had to bump passengers off a packed flight to get crews in place... etc. etc.

Economies of scale... flexibility... all lost with this company imposed divide.
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Laser Tilt
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Re: 737 max

Post by Laser Tilt »

What are the implications of pilots remaining current on type with a long grounding. Let's say is 8 weeks, does that mean even if the aircraft is cleared the pilots need some sim time, etc. before they are allowed back in the air?
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altiplano
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Re: 737 max

Post by altiplano »

My understanding is everyone will be going through additional training anyway... but sure if that addresses currency issues that arise also or not... I guess it depends how long this goes on.
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Gino Under
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Re: 737 max

Post by Gino Under »

Anyone doubting the B767 stabilizer concerns should read through the FAAs ADs on it. The read should give you pause. After all, Prime was simply the loss of a cargo plane. Judging by the media coverage, no one seems to be interested? That also tells us a lot about pilot focus and attention when it comes to safety and how we defend a particular bias.

Boeing has some huge problem$$$. The least of which is the B767 Air Tanker issues and associated financial losses. This is what happens when you are too lazy to clean sheet a new single aisle passenger aeroplane??? You stretch an old one. You strap on new engines. Modify the wings, stabilizers. Whatever's needed to beat or kill the market competition. It's all about market share and $ale$.
But what happens the day you go too far in a world of self-regulation and oversight?
Those poor decisions have potential issues.

It's going to be interesting to listen to Boeing rationalize their decisions over these next few months.
Pretty simple solution. The MAX should have been grounded last Sunday, and the USAF could be flying the A330 Tanker by now.

Gino Under
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Raymond Hall
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Re: 737 max

Post by Raymond Hall »

I would like to confirm some of the "facts" regarding the MAX aircraft systems, the ADs, and the type of training that pilots received, preferably by someone who is current on the aircraft. Would anyone be willing to send me a PM so that I could follow up confidentially, perhaps with a telephone call? In strict confidence.
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Hugh Jasshole
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Re: 737 max

Post by Hugh Jasshole »

Did anyone read the report on the Lion Air crash? It states that the same aircraft had issues with sensors, most likely the AOA gauge, in the days prior to the fateful flight. Prior crews turned the trim switch off and had a non-eventful flight. My question is, why was this plane allowed to fly with a faulty AOA gauge? I have not looked at the MEL list yet, but I'm pretty sure you cannot MEL something that important? This sounds like a maintenance issue, not a Boeing issue.
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corethatthermal
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Re: 737 max

Post by corethatthermal »

It certainly looks like a Boeing problem, maybe also a maintenance problem, a pilot problem and a training problem maybe even throw in an FAA problem as well for good measure!!
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lownslow
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Re: 737 max

Post by lownslow »

Hugh Jasshole wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 5:52 pm why was this plane allowed to fly with a faulty AOA gauge?
“Lubricated and returned to service.” Repeat as required.
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Guilden
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Re: 737 max

Post by Guilden »

yycflyguy wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 2:06 pm
Guilden wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 12:54 am Hey Boeing, Airspeed Unreliable QRC:

1. Autopilot (if engaged)...Disengage
2. Autothrottle (if engaged)..Disengage
3. STAB TRIM CUTOUT switches...CUTOUT

Etc Etc


PROBLEM SOLVED.
That's not the drill for Airspeed Unreliable at AC. That is close to the Runaway Stab Trim Drill except you left out attempting to reverse the trim electrically first then the CUTOUT switches, then grabbing the trim wheel and manually reversing the trim.

The MCAS system is only active with flaps up in manual flight (No AP).
Hey yycflyguy, yes I'm aware of the QRC as I fly the B737.. I'm just saying they should maybe think of adding that into the Airspeed Unreliable QRC.. I've also heard recent rumblings of a group of pilots from numerous companies taken to a max simulator with not a high success rate of recovering from the same scenario as the Lion Air crash.. pretty hard to recover from a dive at low altitude like these guys were faced with.
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yycflyguy
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Re: 737 max

Post by yycflyguy »

Guilden wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 8:46 am
yycflyguy wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 2:06 pm
Guilden wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 12:54 am Hey Boeing, Airspeed Unreliable QRC:

1. Autopilot (if engaged)...Disengage
2. Autothrottle (if engaged)..Disengage
3. STAB TRIM CUTOUT switches...CUTOUT

Etc Etc


PROBLEM SOLVED.
That's not the drill for Airspeed Unreliable at AC. That is close to the Runaway Stab Trim Drill except you left out attempting to reverse the trim electrically first then the CUTOUT switches, then grabbing the trim wheel and manually reversing the trim.

The MCAS system is only active with flaps up in manual flight (No AP).
Hey yycflyguy, yes I'm aware of the QRC as I fly the B737.. I'm just saying they should maybe think of adding that into the Airspeed Unreliable QRC.. I've also heard recent rumblings of a group of pilots from numerous companies taken to a max simulator with not a high success rate of recovering from the same scenario as the Lion Air crash.. pretty hard to recover from a dive at low altitude like these guys were faced with.
Agreed.
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altiplano
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Re: 737 max

Post by altiplano »

Raymond Hall wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 5:14 pm I would like to confirm some of the "facts" regarding the MAX aircraft systems, the ADs, and the type of training that pilots received, preferably by someone who is current on the aircraft. Would anyone be willing to send me a PM so that I could follow up confidentially, perhaps with a telephone call? In strict confidence.
There isn't anyone over 60 or looking to go to 67 on the Max as far as I know.
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Fanblade
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Re: 737 max

Post by Fanblade »

Raymond Hall wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 5:14 pm I would like to confirm some of the "facts" regarding the MAX aircraft systems, the ADs, and the type of training that pilots received, preferably by someone who is current on the aircraft. Would anyone be willing to send me a PM so that I could follow up confidentially, perhaps with a telephone call? In strict confidence.
Ambulance chasing?

Whoop whoop, don’t contact lawyer.
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'97 Tercel
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Re: 737 max

Post by '97 Tercel »

altiplano wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2019 12:28 pm
Raymond Hall wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 5:14 pm I would like to confirm some of the "facts" regarding the MAX aircraft systems, the ADs, and the type of training that pilots received, preferably by someone who is current on the aircraft. Would anyone be willing to send me a PM so that I could follow up confidentially, perhaps with a telephone call? In strict confidence.
There isn't anyone over 60 or looking to go to 67 on the Max as far as I know.

:lol:
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Raymond Hall
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Re: 737 max

Post by Raymond Hall »

FYI, I have been invited to speak on national radio tomorrow on this subject. It would be helpful if I could confirm what I understand to be a number of "facts" that affect all of us, especially facts that help inform the traveling public about the critical safety issues and how those issues are being addressed. It might also be helpful if the public was provided some unsourced insight as to how this issue is being viewed by the very pilots who are most directly affected by it.

One thing for sure: neither Transport Canada nor any of the airlines allow any of their employees or representatives to speak publicly on this issue. In consequence the public is not well informed, as a result.

And quite frankly, I have not been overly impressed by many of the so-called aviation experts who have appeared in the media to discuss the core safety issues, including those who have appeared on CNN.
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