The WSJ has published a claim that the 737MAX has new stall protection features that may make it impossible for pilots to overcome an erroneous pitch down command.
STS has been a feature since the debut of the NG's. It can be overriden (with considerable effort) by the pilots. So what are they talking about here?
The very idea goes against Boeing's "pilot-has-ultimate-authority" philosophy. If it does turn out that Boeing developed an "airplane-has-ultimate-authority" stall protection system without air data redundancy, the entire 737MAX fleet will have to be immediately grounded and the system redesigned and recertified. That outcome could be curtains for Boeing.
However, I find it impossible to believe the FAA would certify such a system in the first place, let alone that Boeing would be so foolish as to design one.
So I'm highly inclined to file this report under "poor fact checking".
On the other hand, Boeing DID design an autopilot for the NG that would occassionally--due to an undetected weakness in the logic--continue to operate without redundancy when one RA was faulty and this led to the fatal crash of Turkish 1951. That system was quietly replaced in 2003 with a reliable alternative and the press never got wind of it.
Originally posted by CNN
The very idea goes against Boeing's "pilot-has-ultimate-authority" philosophy. If it does turn out that Boeing developed an "airplane-has-ultimate-authority" stall protection system without air data redundancy, the entire 737MAX fleet will have to be immediately grounded and the system redesigned and recertified. That outcome could be curtains for Boeing.
However, I find it impossible to believe the FAA would certify such a system in the first place, let alone that Boeing would be so foolish as to design one.
So I'm highly inclined to file this report under "poor fact checking".
On the other hand, Boeing DID design an autopilot for the NG that would occassionally--due to an undetected weakness in the logic--continue to operate without redundancy when one RA was faulty and this led to the fatal crash of Turkish 1951. That system was quietly replaced in 2003 with a reliable alternative and the press never got wind of it.
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