jamesnixon.com
Boeing 737 Max
Ethiopian 302
The issue, to me, is simple, and is easy to understand:
1) Nearly two decades ago Boeing stopped training for “Multiple Failures” saying that they were so statistically impossible it was a waste of training. An engine failure on takeoff, AND a door failing at the same time never happens.
Although QF32 had a catastrophic engine failure AND an electrical bus failure, the two could be said to be part of the same failure.
2) The call by the doomed Ethiopian Captain, heard by a following 777 Captain lining-up last Sunday, related to his friend at Emirates, and then to me, announced that he was:
a) experiencing unreliable airspeed,
b) declaring an emergency,
c) having control issues,
before transferring to Departures.
3) This was similar to the Lion Air Crash. Which is why I became involved and decided to speak up.*
4) This issue required Pilots to handle the Unreliable Airspeed Drill AND the Runaway Stab drill at the same time. (Without, yet to be confirmed, the aircraft annunciator saying there was a runaway stabiliser requiring attention).
5) Apparently engaging the autopilot stops the MCAS pushing the nose down (as the Lion Air Pilot found), BUT
6) The first line of the Unreliable Airspeed drill is to disconnect the autopilot, reinstating the MCAS, and the problem of control issues,
7) which operated transparent to the pilots,
8) all whilst close to the ground.
This goes against Boeing’s philosophy, which allows selling aircraft to companies who employ average pilots, from cultures and countries whose pilots are lesser-experienced than pilots from, say, the U.S.A.
Every problem in modern airliners should be able to be safely solved by the average pilot, on an average day.
If Boeing required Pilots to have a higher level of trouble-shooting skills than is standard in the industry, to fly the 737 MAX series, they should have specified this. I go further. With the looming pilot shortage, and the dumbing-down of the industry, manufacturers should be required to specify minimum experience levels of pilots, during each aircraft's certification.
The introduction of a system that has less redundancy to all other systems in the aircraft, without telling the Pilots, is unconscionable.
The software fix is simple, and should be able to be made quickly:
A) IF the primary and standby airspeeds and / or altimeters are in disagreement,
B) THEN the MCAS system is turned-off.
The aircraft will be susceptible to stalling unless flown correctly, just in the way ALPHA FLOOR is disabled during numerous Airbus emergencies.
Having introduced new software to each grounded aircraft, Pilots should have to demonstrate in the simulator, multiple times, that they can handle this situation before being allowed to fly the aircraft.
The Airbus mantra is that the if aircraft is not doing what you expect, press the red button on the sidestick and fly manually. It is encoded in the 'GOLDEN RULES' card given to all new Airbus pilots.
Rule #1 is "THE AIRCRAFT CAN BE
FLOWN LIKE ANY OTHER AIRCRAFT."
Whoever imagined that Boeing would be the ones to break it?
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UPDATE The Seattle Times
shocking expose is HERE
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Junior Airline Pilots
Are they 'Paid Passengers'? HERE
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Media Coverage
* Whilst I did not seek media coverage, I did provide off-air background to 3AW Breakfast, explaining the difficulties of Addis Ababa airport and the excellent abilities of Ethiopian Airlines pilots.
Later on Monday I was sought for interviews, and appeared with 2GB, 3AW, 4BC, ABC AM Radio, Triple M Melbourne, ABC TV News HERE, Channel 9 TV News, ABC TV News Breakfast HERE & Triple M Adelaide. The ABC TV News Breakfast report was replayed throughout Asia on Australia Plus.
The radio interviews can be heard HERE
I explained the matter in detail to producers and journalists, and called for the grounding of the 737 MAX in Australia. The regulator, CASA, later did this, at a time when only China, Ethiopia, Cayman and Indonesia had grounded the aircraft.
They must be applauded, there would have been considerable pressure for them to follow the lead of the FAA.
Soon after Europe, the U.A.E. and later Canada followed suit. Finally after signalling he wasn't happy, President Trump grounded the plane in the U.S.A. before the FAA or Boeing. A sad state of affairs in aviation safety, no help for the victims, families, friends and colleagues; but eventually the system worked.
James Nixon.
14th March 2018
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This article pre-supposes a level of knowledge into the issues raised above. For background to the crash and Boeing 737MAX, follow these links:
The Lion Air crash is detailed HERE
The Aviation Herald's detailed coverage of Ethiopia ET302 is HERE
The New York Times excellent explanation of the 737MAX issue is HERE
UPDATE! The SeattleTimes shocking expose of the 737MAX issue is HERE
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Boeing 737MAX documentation
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James Nixon is an Author of five books and was previously an Emirates A380 Captain with over 31 years flying experience and can be contacted HERE
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