Originally Posted by
WHBM
I read all the above. However, MCAS was not designed by bean counters, or indeed anyone from Chicago. They would not have a clue about where to start; they probably don't possess a CAD station among all of them, and MCAS is entirely about aerodynamic characteristics. It was designed and checked and had test plans written by aeronautical engineers, no less, from Boeing. I suspect some detail elements would be subcontracted out, possibly even to the low bidder, but the short list preparation and selection would be done by aeronautical engineers.
Now the engineers may not have co-ordinated themselves adequately, and the various changes to MCAS characteristics during it's development may have been garbled along the way. But that wasn't bean counters who did the lack of liaison, was it ...
The root cause is Boeing trying to quickly rush an A320NEO competitor to the market. A competitor that would not require a new type rating or otherwise cause non-commonality inconveniences for buying airlines.
It was entirely a management decision, and engineering most likely received the respective pressure to make it happen.
The engineers might have their share of the blame in this, but the real issue is on the executive levels.