Lion Air Crash: Boeing Didn’t Reveal Key Info
The first Boeing 737 MAX was delivered only in May 2017, and so not much was known about this aircraft, except what was published by Boeing for the pilots and airlines in its Flight Crew Operations Manual (FCOM) and Quick Reference Handbook (QRH).
The single-most important information from the ongoing investigations into last month’s deadly Lion Air crash is that the current lot of pilots who fly the type of aircraft simulator that they were trained on, work differently. US aircraft manufacturer Boeing was silent on this, till the Lion Air crash investigations forced it to reveal the unique response that this aircraft had when its systems sensed that the nose was dangerously high.
Boeing sells the single-aisle Boeing 737 aircraft in two versions, the classic Boeing 737 NG and the new generation Boeing 737 MAX.
Indonesia Lion Air crash involved a Boeing a Boeing 737 MAX.
There are 219 B737 MAX aircraft currently with operators in the world, but only about five Boeing 737 simulators.
First delivery of Boeing 737 MAX
The first Boeing 737 MAX was delivered only in May 2017, and so not much was known about this aircraft, except what was published by Boeing for the pilots and airlines in its Flight Crew Operations Manual (FCOM) and Quick Reference Handbook (QRH).
“What Boeing conveyed to airlines and pilots was that the B737NG and B737 MAX essentially had similar flight-control features,” said a senior commander. “India has no AX simulators.
“The closest we have is the one in Singapore. Boeing said there was no requirement to train specially on B737 MAX simulator. So pilots in India and elsewhere in the world who are to fly the B737MAX, largely train on B737NG simulators,” the commander added.
Captain Sam Thomas, president, Air Lines Pilots’ Association, India, said: “We have perused the FCOM and QRH of airlines that fly some of the 737 Max airplanes and have not found a conclusive action to be taken in case of the said error.”
The error Captain Thomas refers to involves a sensor which could erroneously indicate that the aircraft nose is dangerously high.
In response, the Boeing 737 MAX flight controls will override the pilot and pull down the nose, even if the aircraft is being flown on manual mode and not on autopilot. But when the nose is brought down in response to a false alert the aircraft could dive and crash.
Which is what is supposed to have happened with Lion Air B737MAX. Captain Mohan Ranganathan, an air safety expert said: “Currently, nowhere in the Boeing flight crew operations manual or the flight crew training manual or the nonnormal check-list are these failures listed. “The first document that spoke about this issue was the November 6, Boeing bulletin after the Lion Air crash.
“The pilots have not done any training for this maneuver because the DGCA has permitted them to do training on B737NG simulators which are not programmed for this maneuver.”
A Boeing spokesperson said: “We are taking every measure to fully understand all aspects of this incident, working close with the investigating team and all regulatory authorities involved.
“We are confident in the safety of the 737 MAX.
“Safety remains our top priority and is a core value for everyone at Boeing.’’