Safety under pressure: Lessons from the 737 MAX

The Boeing 737 MAX was meant to be the flagship of the modern aviation industry, but it quickly became synonymous with one of the biggest scandals in aviation history.

Should this plane have never taken to the skies? This is the story of the Boeing 737 MAX.

Competition heats up

Airbus and Boeing, the two largest aircraft manufacturers in the world have each their flagship planes, the A320 for Airbus and the B737 for Boeing. In 2010, these two giants found themselves in intense competition.

Airbus announced that they would upgrade their most popular plane, the A320, with new engines that would significantly save on fuel. In today's world, where environmental and sustainability concerns have become important factors, a more eco-friendly plane is an eye-catcher for the whole world.

This is exactly where the story of the Boeing 737 MAX begins. Boeing wanted to surpass Airbus's new plane.

The birth of the Boeing 737 MAX

To compete with the Airbus A320 NEO, it seemed logical to upgrade their own successful 737 model with better engines. However, there was one significant problem. The fuselage and wings of the 737 were lower to the ground than those of the Airbus A320, which allowed Airbus to place new, larger engines under the wings of their A320.

This was impossible for the 737, but Boeing's solution was to place the new, larger engines not entirely under the wing, but slightly higher, partly in front of the wing. But this created additional challenges.

"Mayday, mayday"

The new Boeing 737 MAX rolled off the assembly line like a speeding train, and it was ordered by airlines all over the world. Unfortunately, this celebration was short-lived. In October 2018, Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea, resulting in the loss of all 189 passengers on board.

Then, less than half a year later, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed, claiming the lives of all 157 occupants. Both crashes with a 737 MAX. This could not be a coincidence. How could this happen?

The MCAS drama

The design was not without flaws. Placing the engines higher on the new 737 MAX had a side effect. When the plane operated at full power, such as during take-off, the nose tended to pitch up excessively high, which could lead to a stall.

The pilot couldn't override the system and the plane descended rapidly, crashing into the Java sea. On March 10, 2019, the same thing happened with Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, but this time it crashed into the ground.

Boeing's struggle to survive

After the crashes, Boeing came under heavy scrutiny, and the plane was grounded worldwide. To regain the confidence of airlines and the public, the company had to take drastic steps. The software for the MCAS system was modified, and the system was now responding based on the information of two sensors instead of one sensor.

If the two sensors provided conflicting information, the system would automatically shut off, and the pilot would regain control of the plane. Pilots also had to undergo additional training to be allowed to fly this plane again.

The future of the MAX

Although the Boeing 737 MAX is now back in service, it will forever be remembered as a plane with a turbulent history. The story of this plane serves as a warning to the aviation industry to prioritize safety at all times, even in times of competition and time pressure.

The likelihood of such an incident happening again is virtually non-existent. Aircraft are safer than ever, especially the Boeing 737 MAX after extensive screenings.

So, if you're planning your next trip on a Boeing 737 MAX, know that the plane now belongs to one of the safest aircraft in the entire world!

I fly on it regularly, without any problems, and it's a bit more fuel-efficient than the old birds.

Safe flight and see you soon!

By: Rico Valkenborgh | December 14, 2023