Will it work? Boeing updates the safety of the 737 MAX – ElSol.com.ar – Diario de Mendoza, Argentina

Boeing introduced improvements to the 737 MAX control systems on Wednesday to ensure greater safety.

The US manufacturer announced these measures following recent accidents involving 737 MAX units in Ethiopia and Indonesia, which preliminary investigations show striking similarities.

These improvements were presented this Wednesday at its facility in Renton, Washington, where this model is badembled in front of more than 200 pilots of airline pilots, technicians and government regulators.

Among other things, the company has updated the MCAS stabilization system – Maneuverability Enhancement System – which is considered responsible for the failures that could have caused the accidents of Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air.

This new version provides additional layers of protection in the event that wing angle of attack (AOA) sensors detect erroneous data and allow pilots to manually control the aircraft at any time.

More specifically, the new updates will prevent the activation of MCAS by erroneous data which, in any case, can be canceled by the pilots to manually control the aircraft.

As explained by the Chicago-based manufacturer, the software has been subjected to hundreds of hours of badysis, laboratory testing, simulator verification and two test flights. , including an in-flight certification test with representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration. (FAA) aboard as observers.

In parallel, he has implemented improvements in the training of pilots, which will require them, among other things, to follow at least 21 days of academic training under the supervision of an instructor and a simulator to fly a Boeing 737.

The US manufacturer has developed a pilot-specific computer-based training to better understand the speed control system, including the MCAS function, the badociated existing crew procedures, and the badociated software changes.

In a statement, Boeing pointed out that he would continue to work with the FAA and other regulatory agencies for certification of the software update.

The accident investigators of the Boeing 737 MAX in Ethiopia found striking similarities with the 737 MAX that crashed in Indonesia. On March 10, the Ethiopian Airlines incident that claimed the lives of 157 people forced the Boeing 737 MAX around the world to stop flying and open an investigation into the aviation sector . In the Lion Air accident, 189 people died.