EuroWire March 2020

Transatlantic cable

The FAA said in a statement that it, and Boeing, were “analysing certain findings from a recent review of the proposed modifications to the Boeing 737 Max,” adding it will “ensure that all safety-related issues identified during this process are addressed.” Boeing is currently working to design a separation of the wiring bundles and to establish if the electrical fault could occur in a real-world scenario. A Boeing official explained that, although the FAA flagged the wiring issue as potentially “catastrophic”, it is possible that shielding, insulation and circuit breakers would prevent a short circuit. The issue could represent a further extension to the Max’s grounding which, up to early 2020, had cost Boeing around $9bn, and American Airlines estimated it had cost it $540mn in pre-tax income for 2019. In December, Boeing’s Starliner astronaut spacecraft, the capsule designed to help NASA regain its human spaceflight capabilities, suffered a software problem that meant the unmanned craft failed to reach the orbit needed to dock with the International Space Station. It was with some relief that, two days later, the craft – a cone-shaped pod to accommodate seven astronauts – made what was described as a “bull’s-eye” landing in the New Mexico White Sands desert, arriving undamaged and with stable cabin conditions. “It couldn’t really have gone any better,” Boeing space chief executive Jim Chilton told reporters, adding that experts would need several weeks to analyse the mission data before deciding if Boeing would be launching a crewed mission some time in 2020. Boeing and NASA officials said they still do not understand why software caused the craft to miss the required orbit. The US space agency has formed an investigative unit to determine what caused the glitch and “any other software issues”. The team will “provide [the] corrective actions” needed before Starliner can fly a crew of astronauts, adding that the scrutiny is expected to take about two months. NASA said it was considering whether Boeing should repeat the test, which could cost tens of millions of dollars and add further delay, to prove it can dock at the station successfully. Under Boeing’s contract, the docking procedure was a key requirement of the test launch. “Although data from the un-crewed test is important for certification, it may not be the only way that Boeing is able to demonstrate its system’s full capabilities,” the agency said. The successful landing tested the capsule’s re-entry into the atmosphere and parachute deployment, and will have yielded valuable test data. In 2014 NASA awarded $4.2bn to Boeing and $2.5bn to Elon Musk’s SpaceX to develop separate capsule systems capable of ferrying astronauts to the space station. NASA has recently relied on Russian spacecraft to transport its astronauts. SpaceX completed a successful unmanned flight of its Crew Dragon astronaut capsule to the space station in March 2019, but it too is carrying out a joint investigation with NASA. In April 2019 a Crew Dragon capsule exploded on a test stand in Florida, moments before test-firing an array of rocket thrusters designed to propel its crew to safety in the event of a rocket failure. It is believed that a valve accidentally leaked propellant, starting a chain reaction that caused the spacecraft to explode. NASA and Boeing probe Starliner software glitch

Boeing has continued to produce its 737 Max jets, at a reduced pace, in order to have an inventory of completed aircraft ready for shipment as soon as deliveries resume.

In the meantime, the FAA is planning fines over faulty wing parts

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed it will fine Boeing $5.4mn for installing substandard parts on the wings of 178 of its 737 Max jetliners. The civil penalty follows an announcement at the end of 2019 that Boeing was to be fined $3.9mn for installing the same parts on other versions of the 737. There are no reports that the faulty parts (called “slats”, that give the plane extra lift during take-off and landing) caused any problems in flight, but the FAA said poor oversight of suppliers led Boeing to install tracks that could become brittle and weak because of mistakes during manufacturing. Boeing has also been cautioned for its failure to properly oversee its suppliers. The FAA said the faulty tracks were given cadmium-titanium plating in mid-2018 by Southwest United Industries, who supplied the finished tracks to Boeing’s contractor Spirit AeroSystems who, in turn, delivered them to Boeing. Change of heart over simulator training In a reversal from its 2017 stance against the need for simulator training for 737 Max pilots, Boeing is now recommending simulator training before pilots resume flying the aircraft. Previously Boeing had felt that computer-based training was sufficient for operational safety, and resisted calls for simulator training on the grounds of adding unattractive costs to the plane. If regulators back the proposal it will take airlines longer to prepare crews when the 737 Max has approval to return to commercial flight. Few Max simulators exist, and it is unclear if training could be performed on the forerunner 737 NG simulator. As of December, the Toronto-based manufacturer CAE Inc said it had delivered 23 Max flight simulators. Boeing’s largest customer, Southwest Airlines Co, has three Max simulators in various stages of FAA certification, and expects three more. United Airlines and American Airlines have one each. American and Southwest are scheduling Max flights from April, and United from June. And a matter of wiring Boeing and the FAA are also reviewing a 737 Max wiring issue with the potential to cause a short circuit. Boeing spokesman, and vice president for communications and government operations, Gordon Johndroe said the company had “identified this issue as part of [a] rigorous process. It would be premature to speculate as to whether this analysis will lead to any design changes.” It is reported that Boeing is reviewing whether two bundles of wiring are installed too close together, which could lead to a short circuit and potentially result in a crash if pilots did not respond appropriately.

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March 2020