It was my understanding the MCAS system was only active when the aircraft was being manually (autopilot disengaged) flown. Since there is a high angle of attack upon rotation and initial climb out, I could see there being a problem. But knowing this, you’d think Boeing would anticipate the high angle of attack and not allow the MCAS to activate during this phase of flight.
Unless there is an anomaly in the angle-of-attack monitoring device (there are 2) it remains to be seen what the actual cause will be. Hopefully, the FDR and CVR will tell the tale.
I wouldn’t be surprised that at the end of the day, it will be something the crew did/failed to do that contributed to the loss of this aircraft. The loss of these two MAX-8 in the space of less than 6-mos may just be a coincidence.
This added info is from ‘DallasNews’ . U.S. regulators are mandating that Boeing upgrade the plane’s software by April but have so far declined to ground the planes. China, Australia and the European Union have grounded the 737 Max 8, leaving the U.S. and Canada as the only two countries flying a substantial number of the aircraft.
The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was included on the Max 8 model aircraft as a safety mechanism that would automatically correct a plane entering a stall pattern. If the plane loses lift under its wings during takeoff and the nose begins to point far upward, the system kicks in and automatically pushes the nose of the plane down.
After the Lion Air crash, the FAA issued an airworthiness directive that said: “This condition, if not addressed, could cause the flight crew to have difficulty controlling the airplane, and lead to excessive nose-down attitude, significant altitude loss, and possible impact with terrain.”
I read this in the DallasNews:
U.S. regulators are mandating that Boeing upgrade the plane’s software by April but have so far declined to ground the planes. China, Australia and the European Union have grounded the 737 Max 8, leaving the U.S. and Canada as the only two countries flying a substantial number of the aircraft.
The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was included on the Max 8 model aircraft as a safety mechanism that would automatically correct a plane entering a stall pattern. If the plane loses lift under its wings during takeoff and the nose begins to point far upward, the system kicks in and automatically pushes the nose of the plane down.
After the Lion Air crash, the FAA issued an airworthiness directive that said: “This condition, if not addressed, could cause the flight crew to have difficulty controlling the airplane, and lead to excessive nose-down attitude, significant altitude loss, and possible impact with terrain.”