American pilots want more training on new Boeing jet

Southwest Airlines says its pilots will get more instruction on an automated anti-stall system on certain new Boeing jets, and American Airlines pilots are also seeking more training. The system is under scrutiny after a deadly crash in Indonesia.

The developments came Thursday after Boeing technical experts met separately with pilots from both airlines.

Indonesian investigators are probing whether pilots on an Oct. 29 Lion Air flight were overwhelmed when incorrect sensor readings activated the anti-stall system and automatically pushed the nose of their plane down. The Boeing 737 MAX plunged into the Java Sea, killing 189 people.

The anti-stall system differs from those in previous Boeing 737 models. Pilots at American and Southwest say Boeing didn’t explain the changes in the new plane’s operating manual.

Boeing says the MAX is safe and that there is a procedure for stopping the nose-down command. The Chicago-based company, however, is considering whether software changes in the anti-stall system are needed.

Modern planes use sensors outside the fuselage to measure airspeed and the pitch of the plane’s nose. The sensors can malfunction, however, and safety experts have suggested that Boeing will have to change the automated anti-stall system of the 737 MAX.