Originally Posted by
Escape Velocity
This.
But not exactly. The 737NG (I'll bet the Max is the same) QRH Unreliable Airspeed checklist, after the memory items, goes on for 4 pages of fault isolation. To accomplish one thing - configure the aircraft to continue and for a safe landing. The UA checklist is a one-size fits all, meant for any phase of flight, but a read between the lines is that the checklist mostly is meant for cruise flight. One thing the UA checklist does not say is - ignore all the warnings and flashing lights, retract the flaps and press on. Both accident crews did precisely that after not accomplishing even the memory items of the UA checklist, and after flap retraction caused the trim problems associated with the MCAS/AOA fault. Both airplanes had normal trim during the initial climbout so neither crew was facing a trim runaway. Had they promptly recognized the initial problem as unreliable airspeed, done the memory items and checklist then chances are they may have never retracted the flaps, stayed at pattern altitude and returned to base.
Here is the B737 MAX Unreliable Airspeed Checklist. Compared to the NG, the memory items are identical, and the rest has only a few differences.
