Boeing probe update

A software fix for the anti-stall system suspected in the crash of a Boeing B737 Max 8 is ready and should be handed to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) early this week for certification, industry sources said yesterday (Sunday).

The reports referred specifically to the Lion Air accident in Indonesia without mentioning the second accident to an Ethiopian Airlines B737 Max this month, though the two are being increasingly linked.

Officials warned it will take months to determine the exact cause of the accidents, but investigators in the Lion case were said to have honed in on the MCAS automated anti-stalling system (BTN last week).

News that the software “patch” was ready emerged on Saturday with one industry source telling the AFP agency: “Boeing has already finalised the necessary corrective measures.”

Asked how long the certification process could take after the patch is in the FAA’s hands, the source said that “nothing has been decided yet”. The FAA declined to comment.

The Ethiopian Airlines accident led to all B737 Max 8s being grounded. At least one airline, Norwegian, said last week it planned to sue Boeing for compensation, while Garuda was said to be seeking to cancel its order for the aircraft.

www.faa.gov

www.boeing.com

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Neil Munro, Havant

Why not train the pilots to fly old fashioned "stick and rudder". Would have saved the Air France a/c out of South America. One for the captain, one for the first officer and one for the autopilot.