It will probably take months before the contested 737 MAX aircraft from Boeing are allowed back into the air. The Wall Street Journal reports based on insiders that the aircraft manufacturer probably has the required papers by the middle of or at the end of August at the earliest.

After permission from the American aviation authority FAA, it will take weeks before the planes can get back into the air, because airlines will first have to update the fleet and train the pilots.

By that time, the busy summer season for aviation is already coming to an end. Connoisseurs recently assumed that the 737 MAX would receive approval sooner, but according to the insiders, the final agreement from the FAA will take longer.

The 737 MAX aircraft have been on the ground worldwide since mid-March due to two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. They appeared to be caused by a safety system that pushed the nose down due to a malfunctioning sensor.

Boeing is now working on a software update, among other things.

--- D'Bridge 3.99 SR41
* Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)

Boeing denies that already November 2016 errors in the MCAS of the 737 MAX came to light during a simulator test. An internal memo, published Friday, in which a test pilot shares his concerns about the behavior of the system with a colleague, according to Boeing related to malfunctioning simulator software.

The publication of the internal communication message caused a lot of indignation among congressmen, pilot unions and experts, but according to Boeing there is a wrong interpretation. The aircraft manufacturer said in a statement that he regretted that a clear explanation was missing when the message was released to researchers earlier this year.

Boeing says to have contacted test pilot Mark Forkner, who has since left, who refuses to talk to Boeing. But through his lawyer, Forkner said his comments were a reaction to the malfunctioning simulator program for the 737 MAX. That program was tested at the time.

Serious problems with the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), a software part of the flight control system, led to fatal crashes with 737 MAX aircraft from Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines at the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019. The worldwide MAX fleet has been on the ground since mid-March, awaiting certification of adjustments with MCAS.

--- D'Bridge 3.99
* Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)