Boeing 737 Max pilots didn't have flight simulators, and trained on iPads instead
The nature of how pilots are trained has received scrutiny following two crashes of the Boeing 737 Max in a five month period, with a report revealing pilots were given two hours of tuition on an iPad about the aircraft, rather than using the more conventional flight simulators.
A Boeing 737 MAX 8 (source: WIkiCommons)
The relatively new aircraft, the Boeing 737 Max 8, has suffered issues early in its lifecycle due to its problems, which has so far led to two crashes in a matter of months. The issues have led to many airlines operating the aircraft to have suspended services as a safety concern, while governments are responding by banning the jet from being used for flights.
The safety issues has prompted many to investigate how the crashes may have occurred and how Boeing could fix the problems that have plagued the relatively popular craft. So far, Boeing has 4,600 pending orders for the 737 Max, which could end up being cancelled if the problems aren't resolved, potentially costing the company billions.
In a New York Times report, it is claimed pilots are not necessarily being given adequate training, with concerns pilots are not able to handle new software used on the craft. Investigations into the crashes of Ethiopia Airlines and Lion Air flights suggest software training may well be a problem, including tuition for an automated system to avoid stalling.
On the introduction of new models of planes, pilots are usually given training on simulation cockpits that can safely teach how to use new functions of the flight instruments and software while on the ground. It was determined that, at least in the case of the Max, pilots with prior 737 experience learned about the new plane using an iPad for two hours, as well as a 13-page handbook of differences between the Max and earlier models.
It is claimed Boeing had not managed to get a simulator ready during a time it was trying to get the plane completed, and didn't have all the data available.
"They were building the airplane and still designing it," advised Southwest Pilots Association training and standards chair Greg Bowen. "The data to build a simulator didn't become available until about when the plane was ready to fly."
Crucially the training did not cover any of the new software that would be used on the 737 Max. Boeing is also said to have also failed to mention to American Airlines pilots about the new software, under the guise of not wanting to "inundate" them with information.
"When you find out there are systems on it that are wildly different that affect the performance of the aircraft, having a simulator is part of a safety culture," according to American Airlines pilot union spokesman Dennis Tajer. "It can be the difference between a safe, recoverable flight and one that makes the newspapers."
Following complaints, Boeing advised American Airlines and Southwest pilots there would be a software fix provided within weeks, though without the need for further training. On hearing this, union pilots believed they were able to fly the plane safely under current training conditions, without the need for a simulator.
The FAA has also been questioned by US lawmakers over why more substantial training was not required by the regulator. Rep. Peter DeFazio, chairman of the House transportation committee told the FAA "this is essentially a different airplane, how is it that it was certified without prior pilot retraining?"
Boeing is said to be abstaining from introducing changes to its training in the wake of the criticism, according to a person familiar with the matter. Regulators like the FAA and the EU Aviation Safety Agency are also steering clear of proposing more simulator-based training, with computer-based versions like the iPad thought to be the "best way" to inform pilots on the changes.
A Boeing 737 MAX 8 (source: WIkiCommons)
The relatively new aircraft, the Boeing 737 Max 8, has suffered issues early in its lifecycle due to its problems, which has so far led to two crashes in a matter of months. The issues have led to many airlines operating the aircraft to have suspended services as a safety concern, while governments are responding by banning the jet from being used for flights.
The safety issues has prompted many to investigate how the crashes may have occurred and how Boeing could fix the problems that have plagued the relatively popular craft. So far, Boeing has 4,600 pending orders for the 737 Max, which could end up being cancelled if the problems aren't resolved, potentially costing the company billions.
In a New York Times report, it is claimed pilots are not necessarily being given adequate training, with concerns pilots are not able to handle new software used on the craft. Investigations into the crashes of Ethiopia Airlines and Lion Air flights suggest software training may well be a problem, including tuition for an automated system to avoid stalling.
On the introduction of new models of planes, pilots are usually given training on simulation cockpits that can safely teach how to use new functions of the flight instruments and software while on the ground. It was determined that, at least in the case of the Max, pilots with prior 737 experience learned about the new plane using an iPad for two hours, as well as a 13-page handbook of differences between the Max and earlier models.
It is claimed Boeing had not managed to get a simulator ready during a time it was trying to get the plane completed, and didn't have all the data available.
"They were building the airplane and still designing it," advised Southwest Pilots Association training and standards chair Greg Bowen. "The data to build a simulator didn't become available until about when the plane was ready to fly."
Crucially the training did not cover any of the new software that would be used on the 737 Max. Boeing is also said to have also failed to mention to American Airlines pilots about the new software, under the guise of not wanting to "inundate" them with information.
"When you find out there are systems on it that are wildly different that affect the performance of the aircraft, having a simulator is part of a safety culture," according to American Airlines pilot union spokesman Dennis Tajer. "It can be the difference between a safe, recoverable flight and one that makes the newspapers."
Following complaints, Boeing advised American Airlines and Southwest pilots there would be a software fix provided within weeks, though without the need for further training. On hearing this, union pilots believed they were able to fly the plane safely under current training conditions, without the need for a simulator.
The FAA has also been questioned by US lawmakers over why more substantial training was not required by the regulator. Rep. Peter DeFazio, chairman of the House transportation committee told the FAA "this is essentially a different airplane, how is it that it was certified without prior pilot retraining?"
Boeing is said to be abstaining from introducing changes to its training in the wake of the criticism, according to a person familiar with the matter. Regulators like the FAA and the EU Aviation Safety Agency are also steering clear of proposing more simulator-based training, with computer-based versions like the iPad thought to be the "best way" to inform pilots on the changes.
Comments
It seems the more we learn about this fiasco the more it would appear that there should be prosecutions brought against people who made these decisions at Boeing, quite possibly charges of manslaughter. I'm currently booked on a return flight on a 737-8 in July, and I really hope by that point the decision's been made that they all need to be scrapped and start again.
AppleInsider said: That's just about plausible, but still criminal - quite possibly literally.
Most likely we will hear there was some sort of bad data feeding (angle of attack sensor) the automatic flight controls which cause the plane to nose dive into the ground. However, it is easily corrected by turning off the automatic flight controls and fly the plane by the seat of your pants. The problem is no airline wants the pilots not following the book or flying by the seat of their pants. If you watch Sully the movie and listen to what they did in the hearing, they focused on Sully not flying by the book and doing his own analysis and what was best and turned out to be the best course of action. They do not want pilots not following their official training.
If you are flying outside US airlines, you may want to think twice about getting on the plane especially now with them becoming even more complex to fly with all the automatic controls. Pilots are very disconnect from the actually flying the just monitoring the systems. US pilots are still better than any pilots around the world they tend to have way more flight time on multiply platforms or know one platform really well. Because of these automatic flight systems it allows Airlines to use lower skilled Pilots since the computers are doing most all of the heavy work.
With pressure from the airlines, Boeing pulled strings at the FAA to certify the MAX so that pilots could do self-schooling and qualify on the differences of the MAX. That schooling was highly deficient in what it covered.
Its one thing moving a person from a Honda CRX to an Accord - very easy and mostly intuitive. Try moving a person from a CRX to a Tesla with only a few minutes of explanation and you get a better idea of what Boeing did.
I don’t see the concluding for months and Boeing, along with the FAA, are going to pay dearly.
I had some trouble understanding the problem that requires MCAS as a solution.
Most of the articles were describing how the larger engines had to be mounted further forward and higher to clear the ground (along with longer nose gear). That would, in my mind, result in a shift forward in the centre of gravity and result in a nose down tendency which is the opposite of what MCAS is correcting.
An article yesterday explained that there is also a shift in the thrust line. That's what causes the pitch up. If the pitch up is severe enough (maybe in the event of an emergency go-around) the angle of attack could go high enough to result in a stall of the wing. MCAS was supposed to correct for that.
Bad sensor readings may result in MCAS aggressively re-trimming the tailplane into a strong pitch down. If the pilot doesn't understand what's happening and how to override… Boeing ends up with a serious failure.
"...pilots were given two hours of TUITION on an iPad " I'm guessing this should be INSTRUCTION
"The safety issues HAS prompted many to investigate.." HAVE
"...including TUITION for an automated system to avoid stalling. " Must really like the word tuition.
There are more, but that's enough for now. And even when there aren't grammatical errors, it's just very poorly written.
/sarc