Shock: the pilots were just a short online course on managing Boeing 737 Max 8

Pilots who switched to a Boeing 737 Max 8 from older 737 models took a short, standalone online course that did not mention the new system that ended up at the center of the investigation after two air crashes, said CNN.

Фото: Depositphotos

Pilots Southwest Airlines and American Airlines took courses that lasted from 56 minutes to three hours. They drew attention to the differences between Max 8 and older 737, but did not elaborate on a new system for improving maneuvering characteristics, known as MCAS.

The system, designed for automatic control of the aircraft, was the focus of attention after the accident Lion Air 737 Max 8 in October last year, and the collapse of Ethiopian Airlines this month.

“The instructor did not teach the course. It was autonomous,” said Mike Trevino, a spokesman for the union that represents Southwest Airlines pilots. Trevino said it took the pilots about three hours to complete the prescribed course. Southwest Airlines' 8500 pilots fly the 737 exclusively, and it is the world's largest operator of the 737 Max 8, with 34 aircraft.

“MCAS was installed on the airplane, and Boeing did not tell the pilots,” Trevino said, adding that Southwest pilots have experience with the 737. “This is not flying a brand new airplane. It's still 737."

Boeing did not respond to several requests for comments.

Practice is needed

“This is just ridiculous,” said Capt. Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the Association of Pilots Unions, which represents 15 American Airlines pilots. “If you're going to have equipment on an aircraft that we didn't know about, and we're going to be responsible for dealing with it if it makes a mistake, then we need to have hands-on experience.”

Tajer said the American Airlines Pilot Self-Study Course is a 56-minute online course that he completed on his iPad. The course was broken down into four broad sections, including a general description of changes to the aircraft, its engines and its instrument panel. But an explanation or even mention of MCAS was again missing, Thayer said.

Boeing is developing courses for each individual airline, so the Southwest preparation course for the transition was longer than the course for American Airlines. But Trevino and Thayer say that both did not mention or explain the MCAS system.

27 in November, one month after the collapse of Lion Air, the American Airlines Pilot Union met with Boeing representatives in Texas to express "serious concerns about the problems posed by the Lion Air 737 Max crash and the ongoing investigation," according to a statement.

According to Tagger, part of this discussion was devoted to software that runs the MCAS system.

Фото: Depositphotos

American Airlines is working to install 737 Max simulators by the end of the year, Tager added. He noted that American Airlines pilots received an intensive ground education at MCAS after the crash of Lion Air.

Earlier it became known that in two fallen Boeing aircraft it was not important security features - their company sold for a fee.

Recall that 10 March is Boeing 737-800 MAX of Ethiopian Airlines airlines with 157 people on board crashed shortly after departure from the airport in the capital of Ethiopia. None of the people in the liner survived.

This is the second deadly catastrophe of this model aircraft in less than six months. Prior to this, an accident with Boeing 737-8 MAX occurred on October 29 2018 of the year: then Lion Air crashed. All people aboard 189 died. The plane fell into the sea off the coast of Indonesia 13 minutes after takeoff.

Then it became known that the plane had fallen due to problems with the flight control sensors and that the threat of a repetition of such a problem still exists for 250 liners Boeing 737 Max.

After a crash in Ethiopia, several countries and airlines refused to fly on Boeing 737 Max aircraft. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued a directive to suspend flights of this aircraft in the territory of the European Union.

The latest flights of liners of the 737 Max family suspended the USA.

After that, the Boeing Corporation recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration suspend all flights of this line of aircraft around the world.

Read also on ForumDaily:

What airlines hide: 16 secrets

The best sites with cheap air tickets

What is done with forgotten air bag in the USA

Five ways to save when buying air tickets

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.