A series of internal Boeing messages between test pilots suggests that the aircraft manufacturer knew of issues facing the 737 Max fleet, later involved in two disastrous crashes, as early as 2016.
According to a report by the Seattle Times, a series of internal messages by Boeing test pilots suggests that the company was aware in 2016 of the flaws in the 737 Max that led to two fatal crashes.
In the leaked exchange, 737 Chief Technical Pilot Mark Forkner told another technical pilot that the 737 Max was “running rampant” on him in the Boeing flight simulator.
“It’s running rampant in the sim on me,” 737 Chief Technical Pilot Mark Forkner wrote to Patrik Gustavsson, who would succeed him as chief technical pilot. “I’m levelling off at like 4000 ft, 230 knots and the plane is trimming itself like craxy. I’m like, WHAT?” (Spelling errors in the original.)
“Granted, I suck at flying, but even this was egregious,” Forkner added.
The exchange focuses on problems with the MCAS system, the same system that played a crucial role in the crashes of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, both of which crashed, killing everyone on board.
In another message, sent prior to that exchange, Forkner asked regulators to remove mentions of the MCAS system from pilot manuals. “Are you OK with us removing all reference to MCAS from the FCOM (Flight Crew Operating Manual) and the training as we discussed, as it’s completely transparent to the flight crew and only operates WAY outside of the normal operating envelope,” Forkner wrote in March 2016.
Forkner left Boeing before the crashes and the subsequent grounding of the 737 Max fleet by nations around the world. Forkner is now a pilot with Southwest Airlines.
Breitbart News reported this week that Boeing is eager to return the 737 Max fleet to the air. The aircraft manufacturer is currently fighting off lingering public concern that the fleet is not suitable for commercial travel.
Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more updates on this story.
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