Pilots of death plane’s curveball

DATA LOSS: CREWS ‘NOT TRAINED’ TO HANDLE RISK

Boeing installs new system to prevent plane going into nosedive.

Indonesian investigators said more training was needed for Boeing 737 MAX pilots after discovering the situation believed to have faced the crew of a doomed Lion Air jet was not contained in the aircraft’s flight manual.

US pilots were also not aware of potential risks, two US pilot unions told Reuters.

The comments shed further light on the areas under scrutiny as investigators prepare to publish their preliminary report a month after the Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX dived into the Java Sea, killing all 189 on board.

Until now, public attention has focused on potential maintenance problems, including a faulty sensor, a vital piece of data needed to help the aircraft fly at the right angle to the currents of air and prevent a stall.

Now, the investigation’s focus appears to be expanding to the clarity of US-approved procedures to help pilots prevent the 737 MAX overreacting to such a data loss, and methods for training them.

Dennis Tajer, a 737 captain and spokesperson for Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines Group pilots, said his union was informed after the crash about a new system Boeing had installed on 737 MAX jets that could command the plane’s nose down in certain situations to prevent a stall.

“It is information that we were not privy to in training or in any manuals or materials,” he said.

A US government official said Boeing is expected to unveil a software update to reduce the risks of the 737 MAX stall protection system, but said the timing is unclear.

Boeing declined to comment about a software update but said it was taking “every measure” to fully understand all aspects of the incident.

Soerjanto Tjahjono, head of Indonesia’s transportation safety committee of crash investigators, said Indonesian regulators would tighten training requirements as a result of the findings. – Reuters