Author: Christine Negroni / Source: New York Times
Photograph by EPA, via Shutterstock; illustration by The New York Times
The Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed Sunday, killing 157, was the same model that crashed in October during a Lion Air flight in Indonesia. The two deadly accidents raised questions and public alarm about the safety of the aircraft, a Boeing 737 Max 8.
More than 1,000 readers responded when we invited questions. Here is a selection, with answers from Christine Negroni, an aviation writer, a former air safety investigator and the author of the book “The Crash Detectives.”
Questions have been lightly edited for clarity. If you have more, please leave them in the comments.
Have any U.S. airlines grounded the Boeing 737 Max 8?
— Mark Donald, Dallas
American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, the only two United States carriers flying the Max 8, have both opted to keep the airplane in the air.
Which airlines have the Boeing 737 Max 8 in their fleet, and what’s the best resource to see what plane will be flying a particular route?
— Shehroz
Around the world, 47 airlines have the Max 8 in their fleet, including airlines on every inhabited continent. But more than two-thirds of the airlines operating the Max 8 have grounded it.
During online booking, travelers can see the model of the aircraft assigned to their flight when they select their seat. Several websites dedicated to frequent travelers also provide this information, including FlightStats.com and SeatGuru.com. Beware of canceling a ticket because you don’t want to fly on the Max 8.
The airline probably won’t refund your money or let you rebook without a penalty.Is the new technology associated with the Lion Air crash new to only the Max 8 series of aircraft? If it is found that the same technology also had a role in the Ethiopian Airlines crash, what sort of repercussions would Boeing be subject to?
— Marcus Bierbaum, Cleveland
The technology that is under scrutiny is the maneuvering characteristics augmentation system, or MCAS. It is part of the flight control software on both the Max 8 and the Max 9. If information from the Ethiopian Airlines crash suggests the software might have been a factor in the disaster, the consequences for Boeing could be severe. It has already begun a costly and complex redesign of the flight control software. It has been sued by families of the victims and suffered a blow to its reputation.
Boeing’s customers have also suffered consequences, as the majority of airlines that fly the Max 8 have grounded their planes or have been told to by their government’s regulators. Additionally, on Tuesday, the European Union and other countries around the world banned Max models from flying in their airspace.
What training is required for 737 pilots to transition to flying the 737 Max 8? Have the requirements changed?
— Don Griffin, Houston
The training required to transition from one model of 737 to the next depends on the airline. The 737 has a “common cockpit” design, meaning that a pilot certified to fly one model can easily move to another. Airlines that use several variants of the aircraft appreciate that flexibility.
A Southwest Airlines captain told me that at his company pilots who will fly the Max 8 are required to watch a video to familiarize themselves with slight differences in the systems and the engines. A spokesman at American Airlines, Ross Feinstein says pilots must review a training manual before moving to the Max.
Are all pilots that fly the…
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