Originally Posted by
Herod
I stopped reading this thread a long time ago, but can someone explain a point to an old, retired 737 driver? All 737s pitch up with the application of power; it's a consequence of the design. This one will pitch up more than most; again a consequence of the design. If the crew are made aware of this, is it really beyond the power of the human mind to be ready and correct the pitch? In other words, no need for this system at all.
Hi Herod
I agree with you. 5 years ago post Amsterdam I think with Turkish Airlines 737 stall and hull loss on the approach - the stall procedure was changed from the usual
FULL POWER PITCH DOWN RECOVER - since you were a 737 jockey and even back to the Wright Brothers.
to
PITCH DOWN / POWER AS REQUIRED / RECOVER.
We spent a year of more retraining all pilots to do this new recovery . Reason - to ensure that the engine pitch up moment with newer more powerful engines was not going to prevent the nose down break stall which is the heart of the recovery procedure. The only thing I can think of that might be different on the MAX is that the natural down pitch which all designers seek and regulators look for might be too weak. And they thought it needed augmentation. Now I don't know from what I have gleaned from this forum if this is an aerodynamic issue or simply the bigger engines causing an upward pitching moment - the last thing you want in a stall. I suspect the former. The latter can be fixed by not applying too much power too soon as per current 737-800.
So the logic behind MCAS, how it works, and so forth are still not fully understood - at least not by me. I await the outcome of the investigations as we all should with interest and an open mind.
Cheers
Yanrair
It does look as if a system designed to simply improve the handling in a stall and assist the pilot may have malfunctioned and applied multiple recoveries due to a stuck AOA SENSOR. But we don't know that yet do we?
All I have tried to say in this short piece how real stalls on real 737/757/767/747 airplanes and simulators, stalling routines that I have flown and observed many times - this is how it was done. And stall recovery was a really easy manoeuvre which worked every time.