Boeing has blocked information about the potential risks associated with a new flight control feature suspected to have played a role in Indonesia's Leonair crash last October, according to safety experts involved in the probe, as well as officials at the Federal Aviation Administration And airline pilots.
It appears that the automatic braking system on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 models, which aims to help pilots avoid inadvertently raising the front of the aircraft, can unexpectedly push the aircraft down unexpectedly and strongly so that the pilot Return it to landscape mode again.
In the safety bulletin circulated by Pyong to all airlines using its aircraft a week after the Indonesia plane crash, the company said such a scenario could lead to a sharp dive or crash, even if the pilot was driving the plane manually.
The warning came as a surprise to many of the pilots who are leading the latest Boeing models, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Safety experts involved in the investigation said that Boeing did not inform either airline managers or pilots that the system had been added to the latest 737 models, so pilots were not prepared to deal with potential risks.
"It's stupid to put a system on an airplane and not tell the pilots who drive it, especially when it comes to flying control," said Captain Mike Michaels, chairman of the safety committee of the 15,000-strong pilots' union. "Why did not they train? on her?".
A new Director of the Federal Aviation Administration, familiar with the details, said that the addition of new flight control systems in the various 737 models was not addressed in any training material or during lengthy discussions between the airlines and the regulatory authorities.
"We are taking all measures to fully understand all aspects of this incident and are working closely with the investigation team and all the regulatory authorities concerned," Boeing said in a statement.
According to industry officials and government officials, Boeing partially marketed the 737Max 8 aircraft by informing customers that it would not require pilots to undergo additional training on a simulator beyond what is already required for older models.
A senior Boeing official said the company had decided not to disclose further details to cockpit crews because of fears that pilots would be flooded with a large amount of information and with much technical data, more than they needed or could accommodate.
Flight 610 of Indonesia's Leon Air crashed just minutes after taking off from Jakarta airport in good weather and had problems with air speed indicators and data feed systems for computers around the front of the aircraft.
The plane crashed and all 189 people on board were killed, including crew.
