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737 Max Updates and Cancellations


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On 12/25/2020 at 8:33 PM, Malcolm said:

It will be interesting to see how many more storage problems arise but if the press reports on all, then the public acceptance of the return of the Max will wane. I image there is a comprehensive check list when an aircraft is returned to service that has been stored in high temps. before it is deemed to be be airworthy.  I wonder what was missed is this case or was it checked off on the ground run up and only became a problem when the aircraft was moving at full power on take off?  I imagine  one of the AMEs on this forum could comment

there are a series of checks that are carried out weekly during long term storage.  The Storage facility at Pinal is well versed in the process since they store many operational aircraft for dozens of airlines.

A hydraulic failure from the left engine could be anything and may not have shown an issue at all during the release from storage inspection and engine runs.  Thats how mechanical failures work.  An aircraft can be released from a routine A check and have an issue on the next flight even if the failed system was never touched.

you cannot blame the storage for this issue.

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https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/boeing-max-737-resumes-flights-1.5856671?cmp=rss

American Airlines flew a Boeing 737 Max with paying passengers from Miami to New York on Tuesday, the plane's first commercial flight in U.S. skies since it was grounded in 2019 after two deadly crashes.

American flight 718 carried about 100 passengers, according to an airline spokesperson, and landed Tuesday afternoon at LaGuardia Airport.

The aircraft is now on it's way from LGA to MIA

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

Aircraft Type
Boeing 737 MAX 8 (twin-jet) (B38M)
AircraftB38M Reg No.N314RH Age2 years old
Model737 Jet engines2 First flight21-04-18
Registered10-05-18 RolloutN/A Delivered10-05-18
Construction No.44455 Line No.6884 Series8MAX
ADSHEXA3572C Airline nameAmerican Airlines OwnerN/A
 

AIRLINE INFORMATIONAirline

FLIGHT DATASpeed

778 km/h (Planned: 713 km/h)
graph  Altitude 10,980 m (Planned: 10,980 m)
graphDistance Planned: 1,908 km (Direct: 1,771 km)
Route
WHITE J209 SBY KEMPR DIW AR22 JORAY HILEY7
 
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  • 2 weeks later...

 

Boeing Reaches $2.5 Billion Settlement With U.S. Over 737 Max

The company agreed to a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department.

The Boeing 737 Max was grounded worldwide in March 2019 after 346 people were killed in crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.Credit...Marco Bello/Reuters

  • Jan. 7, 2021Updated 5:17 p.m. ET
  •  

Boeing will pay more than $2.5 billion in a settlement agreement with the Justice Department stemming from the 737 Max debacle, the government said on Thursday. The agreement resolves a criminal charge that Boeing conspired to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates the company and evaluates its planes.

The Max was grounded worldwide in March 2019 after 346 people were killed in crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. The two accidents deeply damaged Boeing’s once-sterling reputation and hurt its relationships with airlines and aviation regulators around the world. The company eventually fired its chief executive and the scandal has cost it billions of dollars in fines, settlements and lost orders.

By settling now, with less than two weeks left in the Trump administration, the company takes the question of how a Biden Justice Department would view a settlement off the table. President Trump had repeatedly discussed the importance of Boeing to the economy, even going so far last year to say he favored a bailout for the company.

There was never a real threat that prosecutors would have sought a criminal conviction. Such a move could have potentially put Boeing, one of the largest U.S. manufacturers, out of business and cost tens of thousands of jobs at the plane maker, its suppliers and other businesses.

“Boeing’s employees chose the path of profit over candor by concealing material information from the F.A.A. concerning the operation of its 737 Max airplane and engaging in an effort to cover up their deception,” David P. Burns, acting assistant attorney general of the department’s criminal division, said in a statement. “This resolution holds Boeing accountable for its employees’ criminal misconduct, addresses the financial impact to Boeing’s airline customers, and hopefully provides some measure of compensation to the crash-victims’ families and beneficiaries.”

As part of Thursday’s agreement, $500 million will be set aside to compensate the families of those who died. Boeing will also pay the government a penalty of nearly $244 million and pay $1.77 billion in compensation to its airline customers who were unable to use or take deliveries of the Max, which remains grounded in some parts of the world. Flights aboard the plane in the United States resumed last week, after the F.A.A. lifted its ban on the plane in November.

“I firmly believe that entering into this resolution is the right thing for us to do — a step that appropriately acknowledges how we fell short of our values and expectations,” David Calhoun, Boeing’s chief executive, said in a note to employees. “This resolution is a serious reminder to all of us of how critical our obligation of transparency to regulators is, and the consequences that our company can face if any one of us falls short of those expectations.”

The settlement will not affect the criminal investigation into whether at least two Boeing employees broke the law in connection with knowingly misleading the F.A.A. while the company was seeking approval for the 737 Max, about changes made to software known as MCAS. Their actions led the F.A.A. to leave information about the software out of a final report, which in turn resulted in its omission from airplane and pilot training materials, according to the Justice Department. The software was implicated in both crashes.

That investigation appeared to have some momentum about a year ago as prosecutors had summoned several Boeing employees in front of a federal grand jury. But the speed of the investigation slowed in the months after the pandemic struck in March.

Prosecutors were examining whether a top pilot for the company, Mark Forkner, had intentionally lied to the regulator about the nature of new flight control software. The software, which could push down the nose of the plane, played a role in the two deadly crashes.

Lawyers for Mr. Forkner have previously said that he did not mislead regulators and would never put the safety of pilots or passengers at risk.

 

 

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58 minutes ago, Don Hudson said:

Boeing will also pay the government a penalty of nearly $244 million and pay $1.77 billion in compensation to its airline customers who were unable to use or take deliveries of the Max, which remains grounded in some parts of the world.

I thought most airlines, including Air Canada, had already settled with Boeing over this?

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12 hours ago, conehead said:

I thought most airlines, including Air Canada, had already settled with Boeing over this?

that number includes monies already paid out.  Of course there could have been an outside deal with AC.

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Airlines face stiff public relations headwind as they prepare Boeing 737 Max for return to passenger service

WestJet, Air Canada are rolling out new safety campaigns and policies to ease public skepticism

Quote

'As they prepare for the return of the Boeing 737 Max to Canadian skies for the first time in almost two years, Canada's two largest airlines are grappling with how to ease passenger wariness about the jet's reputation during a time of heightened anxiety around flying.'

'You need to disclose, disclose, disclose'

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https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2021/01/transport-canada-introduces-additional-requirements-to-allow-for-the-return-to-service-of-the-boeing-737-max1.html

 

Today, Transport Canada issued an Airworthiness Directive for the Boeing 737 MAX which outlines the required modifications to be made to the aircraft prior to a return to service in Canadian airspace. This concludes the department’s review of the aircraft.

As part of Transport Canada’s independent review process, the department’s civil aviation certification and flight safety experts were instrumental in guiding the aircraft design changes. Additionally, the department has gone even farther by introducing unique Canadian measures to further enhance the safety of the aircraft.

In addition to all reviews, and to provide additional assurances that all measures are in place, an Interim Order that clearly indicates Transport Canada’s expectations and requirements for additional training for crew members was also issued for operators. It is complementary to the design and maintenance requirements of the Airworthiness Directive.

As a final step in this process, Transport Canada will lift the existing Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) which prohibits the commercial operation of the aircraft in Canadian airspace on January 20, 2021. This will allow for the return to service of the aircraft in Canada. 

Edited by dagger
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Air Canada adopts policies to let guests avoid the 737 MAX

From Runaway Girl – link to source story

Don’t want to fly on the Boeing 737 MAX? Air Canada, which will resume MAX operations on 1 February, says guests won’t have to fly the type.

The carrier has implemented flexible change and cancellation policies for customers seeking to avoid the 737 MAX when it reinstates MAX flights between Toronto and Montreal, Halifax, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Edmonton.

While Air Canada says it is “fully confident in the return of the Boeing 737 MAX”, it understands that certain customers may prefer alternative travel options. It is offering guests the ability to change their MAX flight to an alternative Air Canada flight at no extra charge – within the same cabin – up to seven days before or after the original date of flight.

“You can also choose to change your origin and/or destination to an alternate origin/destination within 200 miles,” says the airline in its guidance to travelers. Additionally, guests have the option to choose an alternate itinerary with no change fee (though a difference in fare would apply) or to cancel their flight without penalty and convert the ticket to an Air Canada Travel Voucher that has no expiry date. Bookings can be cancelled up to two hours before departure.

The new policy covers tickets issued on or before 14 January 2021 with travel dates up to 31 March 2021.

Rotation

Air Canada’s decision to restart MAX operations on 1 February comes on the heels of Transport Canada’s ungrounding of the MAX in Canadian airspace.

On 18 January, the agency issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) for the MAX, outlining the required modifications to be made to the aircraft prior to a return to service. It has added unique Canadian measures to its AD in a bid to further enhance the safety of the aircraft.

“Specifically, the Canadian design changes for the Boeing 737 MAX will include an enhanced flight deck procedure that provides the option for a pilot-in-command to disable a loud and intrusive warning system (commonly called the “stick shaker”) when the system has been erroneously activated by a failure in the angle of attack sensor system,” explains Transport Canada.

“This feature will effectively reduce pilot workload given what has been learned from the two tragic accidents, and has been fully evaluated by Transport Canada’s flight test pilots. There will also be differences in training including that associated with the enhanced flight deck procedure.”

Despite these changes, some travelers remain wary of flying the MAX. Individuals who identify as “fearful flyers”, especially, have told Air Canada on social media that they intend to avoid the twinjet. Among their worries is that Air Canada could swap in a MAX at the last minute when travelers are at the gate. “I want a commitment that you will never swap in a MAX plane,” says one commenter.

Air Canada appears to have anticipated this concern, telling guests that they can see which aircraft is operating their flight by retrieving the booking from the “My Bookings” tab on aircanada.com, or by tapping the “Trips” button on the Air Canada App, then clicking on the “Details” link in the Flight Details section.

The MAX represents a key part of the airline’s narrowbody fleet renewal strategy. Air Canada has 24 MAX aircraft in its fleet, and will take delivery of 16 more of the type under a revised commitment with Boeing.

It remains to be seen if the airline will extend its flexible change and cancellation policies beyond 31 March.

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From Kargokings posted article:

Quote

“Specifically, the Canadian design changes for the Boeing 737 MAX will include an enhanced flight deck procedure that provides the option for a pilot-in-command to disable a loud and intrusive warning system (commonly called the “stick shaker”) when the system has been erroneously activated by a failure in the angle of attack sensor system,” explains Transport Canada.

“This feature will effectively reduce pilot workload given what has been learned from the two tragic accidents, and has been fully evaluated by Transport Canada’s flight test pilots. There will also be differences in training including that associated with the enhanced flight deck procedure.”

Who comes up with this stuff?

(And if you wonder what I mean, check out the AD).

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WestJet's 737 Max to be first to return to Canadian skies after global grounding

Wed Jan20, 2021 - BNN/Bloomberg

CALGARY - WestJet says it will operate the first commercial flight of the Boeing 737 Max in Canada since the aircraft was cleared to fly again in Canadian airspace.

The flight will take off from Calgary on Thursday and land in Vancouver, where company executives will hold a press event, WestJet says.

Starting Jan. 22, WestJet plans to fly the Max three times weekly between Calgary and Toronto.

The Boeing 737 Max was grounded in Canada for nearly two years following two deadly crashes that investigators said was caused by a faulty sensor system.

The Canadian government lifted its grounding order for the Max on Jan. 20 after approving a number of changes to the airplane's design, including allowing pilots to disable an alarm system found to be central to the crashes.

Max pilots will also be required to undergo additional training in flight simulators before they can operate the plane in Canadian airspace.

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The Boeing 737 MAX remains a risky ride

Quote

'More precisely, this engine configuration effectively behaves like an extra forward wing and creates unwanted additional lift. The lift causes the airplane to rotate about its centre of gravity, located far behind the engines. This rotation results in the nose pitching up, impeding level flight. This can lead to an aerodynamic stall, in which the airplane can no longer stay aloft.'

But more important is to question why MCAS should exist at all on the 737 Max.

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