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In what has been described as a comprehensive safety and review process that took 20 months in total to complete, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), on November 18, signed an order clearing the way for the aircraft, the Boeing 737. MAX, to return to passenger service.
The move follows the global grounding of the latest version of Boeing’s best-selling narrow-body aircraft after two accidents in five months that claimed 346 lives. The 13-minute flight of Indonesia’s Lion Air Flight 610 on October 29, 2018, which ended in the Java Sea, and that of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, on March 10, 2019, were in the air for six minutes before a heavy impact on the field. in Ethiopia, it had flagged signs of serious safety problems that had overwhelmed the flight crew.
As questions swirled thick and fast around the fate of the fourth-generation version of the popular aircraft that promises economic efficiency as its key selling point, and the image of its maker, the 100-plus-year-old aerospace company Boeing, Regulators, in collaborative and independent efforts, scrambled to find solutions to core problems related to the ship’s design, certification, and operation processes. In the process, far-reaching and quiet changes have occurred in the aviation ecosystem, especially in regulation, safety practices, and quality in the US.
What are the modifications that have been made to bring the MAX back to the skies after the $ 20 billion grounding cost? For starters, the crucial pilot training program, specifically for the 737 MAX, is packed with recommendations from a Joint Operations Evaluation Board (JOEB), which includes the civil aviation authorities of the USA, Brazil, Canada and the EU. The FAA has issued an Airworthiness Directive with specific and crucial design changes that must be made before the twin-engine aircraft returns to service, a Notice of Continuing Airworthiness to the International Community (CANIC), and MAX training requirements.
The FAA must approve reviews of the MAX pilot training program for each US airline that operates the type. Importantly, the FAA says it retains the authority to issue Certificates of Airworthiness and Export Certificates of Airworthiness for all new 737 MAX aircraft built since the grounding order. In addition, he adds, MAX aircraft parked since then must undergo maintenance checks, including debris from foreign objects.
Software reviews
The main revisions are in the software, in the aircraft’s maneuvering characteristics augmentation system, or MCAS, which will now have readings from two angle of attack (AoA) sensors. An alarm will be standard to warn pilots of variations in flight data. Pilot training will be rigorous, for AOA failures, with multiple alerts in the flight deck during unusual conditions. Wiring bundles must be rated to eliminate the danger of a short circuit under certain conditions and are considered a shock risk factor.
The process of a security review in the US, one that has been one of global collaboration, will now translate into validation in multiple countries and regions. Europe, Canada and Brazil are expected to make a decision soon, although it could take longer in China. SpiceJet, India’s sole MAX operator, has 13 aircraft on the ground out of an estimated order of 205 aircraft. It is reported that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of India (DGCA) will conduct its own assessments before re-certifying the aircraft. In a statement, a Boeing official said: “Boeing is placing a 737 MAX simulator in India to provide further training support in the region.” However, Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a senior aviation security expert, has a word of caution: “In overseeing MAX training, it is important that the person from the DGCA of the Flight Standards Division be a qualified pilot. of the 737 MAX. It is very important that the DGCA does not allow short cuts in training ”.
In his remarks in September, after his test flight in a refurbished 737 MAX, FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson said: “I like what I saw. [during the flight]. “The flying machine was designed for a market where airlines needed new planes and when fuel prices were high. But a lot has changed. The hard part now is whether passengers will really be convinced of the safety changes in the context of a COVID-19 world that has sapped the demand for travel.
