Originally Posted by
gums
Salute tjernagel!
The crash was not a simple loss of AoA that the crew was using to fly or a vital input to a fly-by-wire system such as the Airbus 320 and following versions. As much as it is touted, the 777, the early F-18 and such were nowhere near FBW than the Airbus, shuttle, or the Viper I flew long ago.
Correct, but who did the crew verification of the "real" MCAS during the flight test and have one test point where the AoA was off the wall and the plane kept commanding nose down? Not "runaway trim", because you could beep the trim and the system stops commanding nose down for 5 or 6 seconds, then whaaahoo.
I will try to return to my cave for awhile, but a point or two.
- I cannot imagine a new system in a new mod of an old plane that has the potential to make the plane go nose down without pilot consent and some kinda warning light that the new system is active. Stick shaker? Yes. Some kinda restricttion on commanding further nose up? Sure. But commanding nose down over and over without some kinda signal that something was awry? I don't wanna fly that beast as a pilot or SLF.
- I cannot imagine the system above not being made very public to all pilots and carriers using the plane. GASP!! Without the AoA aspect as a contributing cause to this crash, how come all pilots flying the type did not know a new system was installed and what its purpose was and how it worked. Sheesh.
Gums sends...
Newer 737 NG's already has a stall protection system that nosed the plane down during a stall.
The difference between the MAX and NG is that the NG will cut out all nose down stab trim if the control column was pulled back far enough. The MAX mcas fcc output locks out the column cutout switch so this can't be done unless the control stand switches are flipped.
So would it make sense that someone who lacked the mcas training but had sufficient NG training should have believed something is wrong with the stab trim when it continues to nose down with the control column pulled back? Just because you can bump it back with manual trim means nothing, you are effectively in a tug of war with the fcc.