Program cost Airframe only: $1–1.8 billion; including engine development: $2–3B
Unit cost MAX 7: US$99.7 million MAX 8: US$121.6M MAX 200: US$124.8M MAX 9: US$128.9M MAX 10: US$134.9M as of 2019
Developed from Boeing 737 Next Generation
Boeing 737 MAX’s anti-stall system was activated before Ethiopia crash: report
nvestigators looking into a Boeing 737 MAX crash in Ethiopia that killed 157 people have reached a preliminary conclusion that an anti-stall system was activated before the plane hit the ground, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people briefed on the matter.
U.S. safety investigators have reviewed data from the “black boxes” that were aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, four people briefed on the investigation told Reuters on Thursday. A preliminary report is expected as early as next week, the U.S. officials said.
The plane crashed on March 10 shortly after taking off from Addis Ababa.
Investigators of a deadly 737 MAX crash in Indonesia in October have also focused on the new anti-stall system, called MCAS. Boeing on Wednesday said a planned software fix would prevent repeated operation of the system that is at the centre of safety concerns.
Boeing’s fastest-selling 737 MAX jet, with orders worth more than $500 billion at list prices, has been grounded globally by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other regulators, although airlines are still allowed to fly them without passengers to move planes to other airports.
The manufacturer said it had developed a training package that 737 MAX pilots are required to take before the worldwide ban can be lifted, proposing as it did before two deadly crashes that those pilots do not need time on flight simulators to safely operate the aircraft.
On Thursday, a lawsuit against Boeing was filed in Chicago federal court by the family of Jackson Musoni, a citizen of Rwanda, who died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash.
The lawsuit alleges that Boeing had defectively designed the automated flight control system. Boeing said it could not comment on the lawsuit.
The amount and quality of training that Boeing and airlines provided to 737 MAX pilots is one of the issues under scrutiny as investigators around the world try to determine the causes of two 737 MAX crashes within five months.
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Originally Posted by SkyIsMighty
Boeing Proposes Fixes for Grounded 737 Max Aircraft
Most countries, including the US, grounded Boeing’s 737 Max 8 aircraft following a second deadly crash two weeks ago. The company has scrambled to address concerns over the plane’s automated flight control system and now says it has a fix ready. It includes both updates to the airplane’s systems and training for pilots, but it’s up to the FAA to approve the plan before any 737 Max 8 aircraft will take to the skies.
Some version of the Boeing 737 has been flying since the 1960s, but 737 Max family is the most recent incarnation. The 737 Max software was recently updated to include a featured called the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), which was supposed to make the planes safer by automatically adjusting the jet’s “angle of attack” if the nose tipped too high. The goal was the lessen the likelihood of dangerous stalls, but two crashes may now be linked to the system pushing the nose down when it shouldn’t have.
Boeing’s recommended remedy for the 737 Max includes a major revamp of the MCAS platform. MCAS will now get data from both of the plane’s angle of attack sensors instead of just one. If those sensors are 5.5 degrees or more apart, MCAS will shut itself off and not attempt to nudge the nose of the aircraft down. The pilot’s controls will display a notification if that happens. Boeing will also roll out new pilot training that focuses on the MCAS system, ensuring flight crews will know how to disable MCAS in the event of an issue.
Early reports on the most recent Ethiopian Airlines crash have suggested that an optional cockpit display could have helped the crew avert disaster. Boeing charges extra for that display, which shows the plane’s angle of attack and the status of the sensors. Boeing will now include that display free on 737 Max aircraft.
The FAA will need to sign off on the proposed fixes, and that’s going to take time. Analysts believe it will be at least six weeks before the 737 Max is allowed to carry passengers again. However, some sources say Boeing will be lucky to get the 737 Max flying in three months. After the FAA approves the plan, it will take just a few days to roll out the new software and get 737 pilots fully trained on MCAS.
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Originally Posted by SkyIsMighty
How much does a Boeing 737 Max cost?
Boeing 737 MAX
Number built 350 as of January 2019
Program cost Airframe only: $1–1.8 billion; including engine development: $2–3B
Unit cost MAX 7: US$99.7 million MAX 8: US$121.6M MAX 200: US$124.8M MAX 9: US$128.9M MAX 10: US$134.9M as of 2019
Developed from Boeing 737 Next Generation
30-03-2019, 10:42 AM
