(1) Smaller manual trim wheels on the 737 NG and 737 MAX made it more difficult to trim a runaway stabilizer back into a regular position;
(2) The larger stabilizer surface in both models made it more difficult to counter a runaway stabilizer by using the elevator, which was kept at the same size; and,
(3) 737 NG and MAX pilots were not taught a tricky rollercoaster maneuver that is the only way in those models to recover from severe mistrim and free a locked elevator -- but the maneuver requires 3,000 feet of altitude to spare.
As it was, the Boeing MCAS computer flight system flew the Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max into the ground as the pilots cut power to the stabilizer's electric motor and frantically tried using the trim wheel to recover control.
As it was, the Boeing MCAS computer flight system flew the Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max into the ground as the pilots cut power to the stabilizer’s electric motor and frantically tried using the trim wheel to recover control.
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Actually, they reactivated the automatic trim before the final pitch down.
At that point they were in an overspeed condition. If they had been competent pilots they would have pulled back on the throttles and MCAS would have been deactivated automatically. They didn’t need to know that MCAS existed.