Boeing issued safety warning to pilots for 737 Max jets
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Aerospace and defense giant Boeing issued a safety warning to people operating its 737 Max 8 jet, the company confirmed in a statement to FOX Business.
On Tuesday, in the wake of the Lion Air crash in Indonesia – where 189 people were killed – the plane maker sent a bulletin that warns incorrect readings from a flight-monitoring system can result in the jets abruptly diving.
“On November 6, 2018, Boeing issued an Operations Manual Bulletin (OMB) directing operators to existing flight crew procedures to address circumstances where there is erroneous input from an [angle of attack] sensor,” a spokesperson for the company said.
When the angle of attack sensors – which detect how wind is meeting the wing – perceive incorrect readings the plane may think it is experiencing an aerodynamic stall, causing it to dive.
The issue was discovered through the investigation into the Lion Air crash. Boeing said Lion Air Flight 610 experienced “erroneous input” from one of the sensors in question.
It was not immediately clear if the issue in question was directly related to what happened in Indonesia, but Boeing said it is fully cooperating with the investigation.
There are more than 200 Boeing Max jets around the world, with orders for more than 4,700, according to Boeing’s website.
The Lion Air crash involved a brand new Boeing Max 8 jet, which was cleared to fly despite days of inaccurate speed readings. About 15 minutes into the flight, which took off from Jakarta, the plane plunged into the sea.
It has not been determined whether those incorrect readings played any role in the Oct. 29 crash.