[Peetwo]

Flawed to the MAX - Update.

Via Oz Aviation:

FAA to host briefing of civil aviation officials on Boeing 737 MAX

written by australianaviation.com.au April 26, 2019

A file image of the Boeing 737 MAX tail and winglets. (Boeing)

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has invited leading civil aviation officials from around the world to a meeting on May 23 to discuss the grounding of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft after two fatal crashes, media reports say.

The meeting was “intended to provide participants the FAA’s safety analysis that will inform its decision to return the 737 MAX fleet to service in the US when it is made”, the Reuters news agency reported on Thursday (US time).

Meanwhile, the FAA told Agence France-Presse the session would “discuss the agency’s activities toward ensuring the safe return of Boeing 737 MAX to service”.

The FAA said the meeting would be for regulators only, with no participation from industry.

This May 23 gathering in Washington DC was in addition to international authorities and experts from aviation regulatory bodies in nine countries – Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) included – starting a 90-day review of aircraft safety on April 29 following the crashes of two 737 MAX aircraft operated by Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines in October 2018 and March 2019 respectively, killing 346 passengers and crew.

Officials from China, the European Aviation Safety Agency, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates will take part in that 90-day review chaired by former National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Chris Hart. They will focus on the certification of the 737 MAX’s automated flight control system.

Given that 90-day timeframe, the grounding of the aircraft globally is unlikely to be lifted until late July. However, the FAA has previously said a decision on whether to lift that grounding was separate to the review.

A file image of a Boeing 737 MAX flight deck. (Boeing)

Boeing has been working on a software update to the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) following the crash of a Lion Air 737 MAX 8 in October 2018. It has still to submit that software to the FAA for approval.

The airframer said recently it had completed the final test flight with the updated software. There is still a certification flightwith the FAA to come.

Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg on a 737 MAX 7 test flight for the MCAS software update. (Boeing)

A supplied picture of a Boeing 737 MAX 7 landing on April 17, 2019 after a technical demonstration flight for the MCAS software update. (Boeing)

Norwegian delay

Meanwhile, low-cost carrier, Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA has arranged with Boeing to delay the purchase of 14 737 MAX aircraft due for delivery in 2020 and 2021.

It presently has 18 737 MAX aircraft lying idle because of the grounding. Norwegian chief executive Bjorn Kjos told media this week the impact of the grounding could cost the airline US$60 million (A$85.5 million).

& via CBS News:

At least 4 potential whistleblower calls made to FAA about Boeing 737 Max

BY KRIS VAN CLEAVE
APRIL 29, 2019 / 4:15 AM / CBS NEWS

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/4-potentia...-max-jets/

The Federal Aviation Administration has received at least four calls from potential Boeing employee whistleblowers about issues with the company's new 737 Max jetliner, CBS News has confirmed.



The calls began coming in within hours of Ethiopian investigators releasing a preliminary report on the second of those crashes, that of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 last month.


A source familiar with them confirms the April 5 calls were from current and former Boeing employees alleging possible issues related to the angle of attack (AOA) sensor and the MCAS anti-stall system that relies on data from the sensor.


Both have been linked to the two deadly 737Max crashes that killed nearly 350 people and lead to the grounding of the aircraft worldwide.


One of the claims deals with damage to the wiring of an AOA sensor from a foreign object.


Boeing said it could not verify the report but in a statement tolds CBS News, "Safety and quality are absolutely at the core of Boeing's values. Speaking up is a cornerstone of that safety culture and we look into all issues that are raised."


A Boeing source was skeptical of that particular whistleblower allegation, saying that as far as he knows, there have been "no reported issues...at all" with foreign object debris damage to AOA sensors or their wiring.


But, as CBS News confirmed last week, Boeing has had issues with foreign object debris (FOD) being found in the company's 787 Dreamliner assembled at its South Carolina plant, including metal shavings discovered by the FAA in aircraft Boeing certified as debris-free as recently as 2017.


Twice this year, the U.S. Air Force stopped accepting delivery of the 767-based KC-46 aerial refueler because FOD was found inside the newly delivered aircraft. The KC-46 is built in Everett, Washington.

Another of the potential whistleblower calls dealt with concerns over the shutoff switches for MCAS.

The four calls were made to call came in through a special hotline setup by the FAA for employees or the public to report problems. They are being evaluated by FAA investigators as part of ongoing probes into the 737 Max and its certification.

If true, it's possible the allegations could lead to additional investigations.


The hotline submissions were first reported by CNN and confirmed to CBS News. 


Earlier this month, the Senate Commerce Committee launched an investigation into the FAA certification process, citing whistleblower claims of improperly trained FAA inspectors working on the Max.


House Transportation and Infastructure Committee investigators have reportedly been speaking with potential whistleblowers. The committee has not responded to a CBS News request for comment.


It's unclear if any of these whistleblowers overlap.

Boeing's CEO was expected to attend the company's annual shareholder meeting Monday and participate in his first media availability since the crash of Ethiopian Airlines crash. He was expected to take reporters' questions. 

& via ABC News:

Virgin defers 737 MAX orders, hours after Boeing CEO survives battle to keep job

By business reporter David Chau, wires

Updated about 10 hours agoTue 30 Apr 2019, 10:38am


Photo: Virgin will delay taking delivery of Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft by at least 1.5 years. (ABC News: Giulio Saggin, file photo)
Related Story: Ethiopian Airlines flight repeatedly nose-dived before crash, but pilots not to blame
Related Story: Lion Air pilots were scouring handbook and praying when plane crashed

Virgin Australia has confirmed it will defer taking delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, from November 2019 to July 2021, due to safety concerns.

Key points:

• Aside from deferring the first delivery, Virgin is shifting its order to more 737 MAX 10s and less MAX 8s
  
• Virgin says, "We will not introduce any new aircraft to the fleet unless we are completely satisfied with its safety"
  
• Boeing's dual CEO and chairman Dennis Muilenburg held on to both roles despite backlash at a fiery shareholder meeting
  

It follows last month's Ethiopian Airlines crash and the Lion Air crash in October 2018 — which involved Boeing's 737 MAX planes crashing shortly after take-off and killing hundreds of people on both flights.

"Safety is always the number one priority for Virgin Australia," said the company's chief executive Paul Scurrah.

"We will not introduce any new aircraft to the fleet unless we are completely satisfied with its safety.

"We are confident in Boeing's commitment to returning the 737 MAX to service safely and as a long-term partner of Boeing, we will be working with them through this process."

The company has ordered 48 of Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft.

Its first MAX 8 was meant to be delivered in November 2019 — but has now been delayed to February 2025.

But it has brought forward the delivery of the first MAX 10 to July 2021, which was originally slated for a January 2022 delivery.

Virgin also shifted its order towards the larger MAX 10 (of which it now plans to buy 25, instead of 10), while cutting its order of the MAX 8 (from 38, down to 23).

In a statement to the ASX, the company said there would be financial benefits from deferring its Boeing aircraft order.

"This includes a significant deferral of capital expenditure by extending the use of existing aircraft given the relatively young age of our fleet," it said.

Boeing CEO keeps his job

Virgin's decision was announced hours after Boeing's chief executive and chairman Dennis Muilenburg survived a shareholder motion to split his two roles.

He later told reporters he would continue to lead the company through a crisis that has triggered the grounding of Boeing's fastest-selling plane, lawsuits, investigations and lingering concerns over the 737 MAX's safety.

"I am very focused on safety going forward," he said after the meeting when reporters asked if he had considered resigning.

"I am strongly vested in that. My clear intent is to continue to lead on the front of safety, quality and integrity."

However, Boeing will need to win back the trust of customers, passengers and regulators following the crashes.

The aviation giant, worth $US214 billion, has experienced a 10 per cent slump in its share price since the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March.

What we know about the 737 MAX



Boeing's newest version of its most popular plane, the 737 MAX, is again in the spotlight after another deadly crash minutes after take-off.

Boeing is under pressure to deliver a software fix to prevent erroneous data from triggering the plane's anti-stall system MCAS (the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System).

The company has acknowledged that the accidental firing of the software based on bad sensor data was a common link in the chain of events leading to the two accidents.

Last week, Boeing abandoned its 2019 financial outlook, halted share buybacks and said lowered production due to the 737 MAX grounding had cost it at least $US1 billion so far.

Shareholders have filed a lawsuit accusing the company of defrauding them by concealing safety deficiencies in the planes.

The model is also the target of investigations by US transportation authorities and the Department of Justice.
ABC/Reuters

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