737 Max 10 certification gains a new bitter element for manufacturer Boeing

The report delivered to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by a panel of experts could be the “final nail in the coffin” of the Boeing 737 MAX 10 certification attempt still in 2022. Although the report was delivered to the government in March Only this week, thanks to the investigative efforts of Dominic Gates Seattle Times.

The document, prepared by the MITER group, noted that “The exemption granted to the MAX family contributed to both accidents (Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines) and influenced Boeing’s decision not to disclose information about the MCAS program, the main cause of these accidents.”. MITER is a nonprofit organization formed by engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) dedicated to reporting for government agencies.

As I mentioned before AirlineThe FAA (prior to accidents) exempted the MAX family from complying with certain crew alert requirements. MITER analysts conclude that if the FAA insists the MAX meets modern warning standards, the role of software MCAS in accidents ‘It could have been avoided’.

If the cockpit is upgraded, MCAS will not be hidden

According to the report, “Upgrading the Crew Alert System would require the pilots to receive additional training. Then Boeing would have no reason to hide the MCAS as it did.” Had the system been part of the development process, the report notes, FAA engineers could have found flaws in the design.

“Additional training would have removed Boeing’s incentive to limit MCAS detection, making its presence part of the pilot training process. It is possible that MCAS dependence on a single angle of attack indicator was detected and corrected during certification.”the report emphatically confirms.

Between the sword and the wall

If Boeing wants to certify the 737 MAX 10, it must either do so before the end of the year — the date on which the exemption period Congress has granted for a new product without meeting cockpit alert requirements — or get a new extension.

As previously noted by the Federal Aviation Administration “It is unlikely that the form certificate will be completed this year.”Boeing is likely to resort to a second, and increasingly difficult, path, since an extension can only be granted by Congress, which is reluctant to support the manufacturer.

If Congress doesn’t give a further extension on time, Boeing will only have two paths to go along with the MAX 10. Either it scraps the program—a drastic and unlikely move, as it has several hundred units on order— Or decide to modify its cabin, making it different from other MAXs.

This second route will require an investment of about $750 million from Boeing, and will also delay the model’s entry into service. Furthermore, it could mean an increase in pilot training costs and create a logistical problem for operators because the cabins of the MAX family will not be standardized.

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