Boeing 737 Max simulator has flaw echoing conditions
Since the two fatal crashes of the Boeing 737 Max, airlines around the world have moved to buy flight simulators to train their pilots. They don’t always work. Boeing recently discovered that the simulators could not accurately replicate the difficult conditions created by a malfunctioning anti-stall system, which played a role in both disasters. The sim- ulators did not reflect the immense force that it would take for pilots to regain control of the aircraft once the system activated on a plane by Boeing. But Boeing proThen, pilots need to crank traveling at a high speed. vides the underlying infor- a wheel to right the plane.
The mistake is likely to mation on which they are They have limited time to act. intensify concerns about designed and built. On the Ethiopian flight, Boeing, as it tries to regain “Boeing has made correc- the pilots struggled to turn credibility after the crashes tions to the 737 Max simuthe wheel while the plane of Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlator software and has prowas moving at a high speed, lines flights. In the months vided additional informa- when there is immense pressince the disasters, Boeing tion to device operators to sure on the tail. The simulahas faced criticism for seriensure that the simulator tors did not properly match ous oversights in the Max’s experience is representative those conditions, and Boeing design. The anti-stall system across different flight condi- pilots found that the wheel was designed with a single tions,” said Gordon John- was far easier to turn than point of failure. A warning droe, a Boeing spokesman. it should have been. light that Boeing thought was “Boeing is working closely Regulators are now trying standard turned out to be with the device manufactur- to determine what training part of a premium add-on. ers and regulators on these will be required.
“Every day, there is new changes and improvements, When the Max was intronews about something not and to ensure that customer duced, Boeing believed that being disclosed or some- training is not disrupted.” pilots did not need experithing was done in error or In recent weeks, Boeing ence on the flight simulawas not complete,” said Den- has been developing a fix to tors, and the Federal Avianis Tajer, a spokesman for the system, known as MCAS. tion Administration agreed. the American Airlines pilots As part of that work, the com- Many pilots learned about union and a 737 pilot. pany tried to test on a simula- the plane on iPads. And they
The training procedures tor how the updated system were not informed about the have been a source of conwould perform, including anti-stall system. tention. Boeing has main- by replicating the problems The limited training was a tained that simulator trainwith the doomed Ethiopian selling point of the plane. It ing is not necessary for the Airlines flight. can cost airlines tens of mil737 Max and regulators do It re-created the actions lions of dollars to maintain not require it, but many air- of the pilots on that flight, and operate flight simulators lines bought the multimil- including taking manual conover the life of an aircraft. lion-dollar machines to give trol of the plane as outlined After the first crash, Boetheir pilots more practice. by Boeing’s recommended ing gave airlines and pilots a Some pilots want ongoing procedures. When MCAS full rundown of MCAS. But simulator training. activates erroneously, pilots the company and regulators
The flight simulators, are supposed to turn off the said additional training was on-the-ground versions of electricity to a motor that not necessary. Simply knowcockpits that mimic the flyallows the system to push ing about the system would ing experience, are not made the plane toward the ground. be sufficient.