Originally Posted by
sadtraveller
Conclusion:
In my opinion, Boeing has acted disgracefully in this situation and should be prosecuted criminally for manslaughter (perhaps this is an opportunity for Barr to prove that he is not a Trump stooge). Meanwhile the FAA has been completely compromised and corrupted by the kleptocracy that is taking over America. These are systemic failings rather than a one-off incident, and they raise the question of how many other similar failures remain lurking in the shadows due to negligent management practices and oversight in a country that is rapidly losing any respect for the rule of law. No outcome short of a complete (and transparent) overhaul of Boeing's safety culture, prosecution and incarceration of senior management, and possibly even a break-up of the company (e.g. splitting off commercial aviation from defense) will make me comfortable flying on any recently-produced Boeing metal. I'll be putting my money where my mouth is by exclusively booking Airbus until these changes are made. I'm not holding my breath, so it looks like I'll be flying Airbus for some time to come.
sadtraveller Thank you for this neat summation of the facts. As a fellow frequent flyer, I'm with you in wanting a safe flight despite non-optimal staffing in the front seats.
I'd also question the focus on MCAS alone. Boeing did not react to Lion Air as if a known risky design choice had been exposed. My own impression was that MCAS hadn't been on their minds, and they were surprised and slightly irritated that it had caused problems. Ergo, I assume that the MCAS design was of a piece with their general design standard. If this is the case, it's reasonable to think that there may be more potential bear-traps in the MAX design. Are there any other systems dependent on a single sensor? Are there any other silently disabled features that Boeing haven't mentioned? Can any other flight characteristics be affected by features undisclosed to the pilot?
If I were an aviation authority, I'd want those questions answered. It's a shame the FAA isn't leading the way.