We're supposed to get some more info this week, but if true that they did disengage the MCAS and still couldn't recover in time... Wow.
… according to people briefed on the probe’s preliminary findings. …Right, and the common denominator of Mahometanism had absolutely nothing to do with it. “(A)ccording to people briefed on the probe’s preliminary findings.” Yup.
Turn off the MCAS, Hal.........
I’m sorry, I can’t do that, Dave..................
Article states that the aircrew re-engaged the MCAS. If MCAS led to a runaway trim condition, there are two switches located between the pilots that can disengage the automatic trim allowing for manual trim inputs. The flight data recorder would indicate if the trim was disengaged.
I think part of this story (yet to unfold) is the altitude/timing that was given to the aircrew. Maybe if they’d had another 5,000 feet, it would have made a difference in recover time.
EETimes assessment of the problems with 737 Max.
Written by engineers, for engineers.
They feel it is a airframe design flaw caused by moving new engines forward.
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1334482
After turning off a flight-control system that was automatically pushing down the plane’s nose shortly after takeoff March 10, these people said, the crew couldn’t get the aircraft to climb and ended up turning it back on and relying on other steps before the final plunge killed all 157 people on board.
...
The trim wheels can take some strength to turn manually, but both pilots can work together to do it. Some FReepers are allowing themselves to be mislead by the media on this story.
This is why Boeing is working with the FAA (and likely EASA) on a fix. That fix is currently (probably) “base tested” on the 737 MAX 7 prototype and will soon be expected to be tested on the 737 MAX 8 and 737 MAX 9 planes.
The problem is, you must then manually crank the stabilizer trim wheels manually, which can take a lot of muscle.
Maybe the Ethopian pilots kept turning the electric trim motor back on, which allowed MCAS to continue to give erroneous down trim to the aircraft.
Here is an excellent video on how to identify and resolve a problem with MCAS:
This was a major screw up... Too bad for Boeing, but offering a formerly ‘optional’ software safety upgrade for ‘free’... Makes it sound as though they were trying to profit off passengers safety and that is as sick as it gets.
Yeah...disengaged MCAS and “still couldn’t get the aircraft to climb.”
That does not sound good.
Another thread today said they disengaged MCAS but later turned it back on.