Boeing’s 737‑MAX & the Lion Air Tragedy: A Short‑Form Saga
On October 29th, a Lion Air 737‑MAX plunged into the Java Sea, dooming all 189 souls on board. The accident rattled the aviation world and, more importantly, the pilots who fly these planes. Why did it happen, and who should stick the blame on? Let’s unpack the key pieces.
What the 737‑MAX Changed
The new max version swapped out its old engines for heftier ones. While this makes the aircraft more powerful, it also alters the aerodynamics, giving it a new “stalling” profile. To keep the plane from stalling, Boeing tweaked an anti‑stall system that relies on readings from Angle‑of‑Attack (AOA) sensors.
Boeing’s Omission: Did They Forget to Tell?
According to the Allied Pilots Association (APA), Boeing updated the anti‑stall system but didn’t inform airlines or the pilots who actually fly the jets. “We should have been informed,” says APA spokesperson Dennis Tajer. “It’s just silly.”
A quick note to the FAA‑world: “Sharing critical safety information is the essence of our industry’s culture.”
Key Take‑aways from the APA Letter (Nov 10)
- The latest Emergency Airworthiness Directive missed a serious problem: the AOA sensors giving wrong readings.
- A wrong AOA can trick the plane’s computers into thinking it’s about to stall when it’s actually okay to climb—leading to an unwanted dive.
- In theory, pilots should bail in. The AOA isn’t a knee‑jerk “second‑hand reading.” A pilot says they should take over “before we lose the aircraft.”
Expert Opinions
Addison Schonland, an aviation specialist, said: “I’m sure Boeing didn’t intentionally hide crucial data about a key flight system.” He added that earlier flights had shaky airspeed indicator readings, too.
Teal Group’s Richard Aboulafia weighed in, suggesting Boeing might have underestimated the changes, thinking it was “just a minor tweak.”
Why Pilots Are Livid
- Most manufacturers boil the training down to a few days “just enough” to get the crew comfortable with new hardware. That’s painfully thin if the avionics are fundamentally different.
- There are only two AOA sensors on the 737‑MAX, while an Airbus A320 boasts three—a shaky “single‑point” failure is not ideal.
What Not Yet Known
The crash survivor’s Flight Data Recorder was recovered, giving investigators clues about the plane’s behavior. The cockpit voice recorder is still missing, leaving a huge gap in understanding what the pilots were hearing during the critical moments.
Bottom Line
Boeing’s design change could have turned a climbing‑needed moment into a dive, essentially giving the plane itself a lethal surprise. Pilots and airline operators need the full deal—no hidden tweaks, no “cheap training,” and—more importantly—an honest conversation about safety.
