Boeing engineers identified a fault with a pilot warning system on its 737 MAX aircraft in 2017, a year before the deadly Lion Air crash, the company said Sunday.
Boeing said that management was unaware of the issue until the crash in Indonesia, which killed 189 people, and the planes were not grounded until after another of the type operated by Ethiopian Airlines went down several months later, leaving a further 157 people dead.
According to Boeing, a supposedly standard piece of equipment that tells pilot about disagreements between angle of attack indicators -- which measure the plane's angle vis-a-vis oncoming air to warn of impending stalls -- did not in fact activate unless an additional optional indicator was purchased by airlines.
That left airlines that did not buy the optional indicator -- including both Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines -- without the safety feature. Faulty angle of attack indicator information may have played a role in both of the deadly crashes, causing the 737 MAX anti-stall system to unnecessarily activate and push the nose down toward the ground even as pilots fought to maintain altitude.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Boeing CEO faces shareholders for first time since 737 MAX crashesPlanemaker facing its biggest crisis
Read more »
Newsdeck: U.S. House panel will hold May 15 hearing on grounded Boeing 737 MAXWASHINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a May 15 hearing on the grounded Boeing 737 MAX and the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) aircraft certification program, three people briefed on the matter said on Wednesday.
Read more »
A critical sensor linked to the two fatal Boeing 737 Max crashes had been flagged to the FAA more than 200 times, report claimsThe angle of attack sensor was highlighted in 216 Federal Aviation Administration reports in the last 15 years for failing or needing to be repaired.
Read more »
Business Maverick: Tuesday, April 30: Five Things You Need to Know to Start Your DayWarnings signs for China stocks and Boeing says it didn’t mean to deactivate a pilot alert on the 737 Max. Here’s what’s moving markets.
Read more »
LOOK: Boeing with 143 passengers aboard skids off runway into Florida river | IOL NewsLOOK: A Boeing 737 passenger jet with 143 people onboard overshot a runway and skidded into a river at Jacksonville Naval Air Base in Florida.
Read more »
Boeing skids into Florida river in crash-landingA Boeing 737 skidded off a runway into a river after crash-landing during a lightning storm in Florida on Friday.
Read more »
Boeing kept information about cockpit alert anomaly from buyers before crashAircraft maker’s latest disclosure raises new questions about the 737 Max’s development and testing — and the company’s lack of transparency
Read more »
Boeing CEO faces shareholders for first time since 737 MAX crashesPlanemaker facing its biggest crisis
Read more »
Newsdeck: U.S. House panel will hold May 15 hearing on grounded Boeing 737 MAXWASHINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a May 15 hearing on the grounded Boeing 737 MAX and the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) aircraft certification program, three people briefed on the matter said on Wednesday.
Read more »
A critical sensor linked to the two fatal Boeing 737 Max crashes had been flagged to the FAA more than 200 times, report claimsThe angle of attack sensor was highlighted in 216 Federal Aviation Administration reports in the last 15 years for failing or needing to be repaired.
Read more »
Boeing kept information about cockpit alert anomaly from buyers before crashAircraft maker’s latest disclosure raises new questions about the 737 Max’s development and testing — and the company’s lack of transparency
Read more »