Boeing plans to upgrade Lion Air crash software in 6 to 8 weeks – Business News

SEATTLE / PARIS: Boeing Co plans to launch a software upgrade of its 737 MAX in six to eight weeks, which would help solve the problem faced by Lion Air's crew during the fatal accident last month in Indonesia, announced two people aware of the case on Thursday.

Accident investigators have been looking into the possibility that a new anti-stall system that repeatedly drove the nose of the Lion Air airliner be fueled by erroneous data coming from one. faulty sensor left in place after a previous dangerous flight.

Boeing said that the cockpit procedures that had been applied during the previous flight are already in place to resolve this problem and that its 737 series remains safe.

However, US regulators have indicated that Boeing is also considering a possible hotfix, after being criticized for failing to describe the latest changes to the automated system in the 737 MAX manual, the latest version of its bestseller jet .

Although the plans for the eventual solution are not final, Boeing's software upgrade could prevent the newly modified anti-stall system, known as MCAS, from operating continuously until 39 aircraft attains its tilt limit, sources said.

The MCAS function would be disabled if the crew opposed it by adjusting or adjusting the settings in the opposite direction, according to two people informed of Boeing's proposals.

"Once the crew has made the adjustment, it would essentially disengage the MCAS system if it did not receive new data," said one of the people.

The data from the flight recorder Lion Air suggest that the pilots attempted to fix the system more than two dozen times before the aircraft plunges into the Java Sea on October 29, making 189 casualties at edge.

Attention is focused on the role of a suspect "angle of attack" sensor used to trigger alerts in case of stall or loss of lift.

While each 737 has two of these blade-shaped vanes, the aircraft's anti-stall system relies on data extracted from a single dawn during each flight, compared to a "voting" system. "three sensors on his rival Airbus. airliners.

The Boeing software update will be an emergency response by Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration, the sources said.

SECOND PROBE

The specific stall prevention system was not originally designed to monitor both probes because the regulators assumed that the incident risks were low and would be further reduced by the presence of a trained crew and power switches on failed systems.

Today, however, Boeing is considering whether the anti-stall system should also check the data from the second probe before engaging, according to one informed person about it.

Boeing declined to comment on the proposed changes.

"As part of our usual practices following an accident or incident, we review the design and operation of our aircraft and, where appropriate, issue bulletins and make recommendations to operators to enhance safety, "said a spokeswoman for Boeing.

"Boeing continues to assess the need for software or other changes as we learn more from the ongoing investigation."

The FAA has repeatedly reiterated that it would take further action if the findings of the accident investigation were the subject of a warrant.

The decision to update the software has not yet been finalized and Boeing may choose a different strategy, officials said.

The world's largest slot machine manufacturer ordered from the airlines 4,532 of the 737 MAX upgrades, worth more than half a trillion dollars at list price, about half of this reduction after typical discounts.

Boeing has delivered 241 jet aircraft to its customers since entering service last year, according to its website. – Reuters