Boeing conducts final test flight of 737 MAX with updated software system

All 737 MAX aircraft have been banned from the world’s skies since days after the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10

International News: Boeing has conducted a final test flight of a 737 MAX model with an updated anti-stall system prior to its certification by aviation authorities, the aerospace manufacturer has said. CEO Dennis Muilenberg on Wednesday tweeted a video where he said the test flight was carried out on Tuesday, adding that test pilots have completed 120 flights totalling more than 203 hours of airtime with the software fix for the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).

Investigators have zeroed in on the system as a factor behind the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes in October and in March respectively, killing nearly 350 people in total. In both cases, the planes nose-dived shortly after takeoff, signalling a problem in a system that was deployed to correct for an aerodynamic issue that tended to cause the plane’s nose to pitch up.

“More than 85 per cent of the 50-plus MAX operators around the globe also have had the opportunity to see the update in action during simulator sessions,” added Muilenberg. All 737 MAX aircraft have been banned from the world’s skies since days after the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10. The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday said a portion of the proposed modifications were “operationally suitable” but said it would not rush towards approval.

Boeing 737 MAX: What we know of Indonesia crash and what comes next

Investigators looking to uncover the causes must answer one of the biggest questions: Was the plane’s software to blame?

More than 300 Boeing 737 MAX jets have been grounded worldwide after two fatal crashes in the past five months in Ethiopia and Indonesia killed nearly 350 people. Investigators looking to uncover the causes must answer one of the biggest questions: Was the plane’s software to blame?

WHAT WE KNOW

– Boeing has stopped delivery of all new MAX jets. Its shares have fallen 12 percent since the Ethiopian Airlines crash, wiping $28 billion from its market value.

– Boeing maintains its new, fuel-efficient jets are safe, but supported the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) decision to ground them.

– Europe and Canada said they would independently certify the safety of the jets, further complicating plans to get the aircraft flying.

– Boeing will mandate on MAX jets a previously optional cockpit warning light, which might have warned of problems that possibly played a role in the recent crashes of Ethiopian and Indonesian planes, sources said.

– Indonesia’s flag carrier Garuda said on Friday it sent a letter to Boeing asking to cancel an order for 49 MAX 8 aircraft, becoming the first airline to confirm plans to cancel an order after the crashes.

– Investigators have found similarities in the ‘angle of attack’ data from both flights. A piece of a stabilizer in the wreckage of the Ethiopian jet with the trim set in an unusual position was similar to that of the Lion Air plane, sources said.

– Investigators who verified data from the black box recorders of the Ethiopian plane have found ‘clear similarities’ with the doomed Lion Air flight, French air accident authority BEA has also said…

Pilot of crashed Ethiopian Airlines jet reported flight-control issues: WSJ

In recordings of the pilot’s conversations with controllers, he didn’t indicate any external problems with the jet or the flight.

International News: The pilot of the Ethiopian Airlines jet that crashed on Sunday reported that he was having flight-control problems and wanted to return to the airport, the chief executive of the airline said.

In recordings of the pilot’s conversations with controllers, he didn’t indicate any external problems with the jet or the flight, like a bird collision, CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told The Wall Street Journal. The pilot “reported back to air-traffic controllers that he was having flight-control problems” and wanted to return to Addis Ababa, Gebremariam said.  The executive said he had listened to the recording and there were no other problems cited by the pilot.

Gebremariam said the black boxes recovered from the jet would be sent to Europe for analysis, although a final determination as to which country hasn’t been made. He said the UK, France and Germany were being considered, as well as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency based in Cologne, Germany, and that a decision would be made Wednesday.

The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that US and Ethiopian officials were discussing the destination of the black boxes, with American officials quietly pushing for them to be sent to the US. Black boxes are devices that contain voice recordings and data from the flight that are crucial in any crash investigation. Downloading the data takes technical expertise and equipment that only a few countries possess. The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX crashed shortly after takeoff while on a scheduled Addis Ababa-Nairobi flight, killing all 157 people on board.

India bans Boeing 737 Max 8 planes after Ethiopian Airlines crash

On Sunday, a 737 MAX 8 aircraft operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed near Addis Ababa killing 157 people, including four Indians

India Tuesday grounded Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft in light of the Ethopian Airlines crash, in which 157 people were killed.SpiceJet has around 12 ‘737 Max 8’ planes in its fleet, while Jet Airways has five.

“DGCA has taken the decision to ground the Boeing 737-MAX planes immediately. These planes will be grounded till appropriate modifications and safety measures are undertaken to ensure their safe operations,” the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a tweet.

ALSO READ: Ethiopian Airlines crash: UK bans Boeing 737 Max planes from airspace

“As always, passenger safety remains our top priority. We continue to consult closely with regulators around the world, airlines, and aircraft manufacturers to ensure passenger safety,” it added.On Sunday, a 737 MAX 8 aircraft operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed near Addis Ababa killing 157 people, including four Indians.

This was second such crash involving the 737 MAX 8 aircraft in less than five months. In October last year, an aircraft operated by Lion Air crashed killing over 180 people in Indonesia.