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Crash investigators fault 737 Max's design and approval process
The Boeing 737 Max had design flaws that were made worse by inadequate pilot training and a faulty approval process that led to the Lion Air accident, Indonesian investigators concluded. Their report confirms multiple stories about Boeing's faulty MCAS control system, why pilots weren't properly trained on it and how it got approved in the first place, according to the Washington Post. The October 29, 2018 accident killed eight crew and 181 passengers.
SpaceX's next Crew Dragon test could happen next week
SpaceX is reportedly gearing up for the next test of its Crew Dragon capsule. A static fire test (a simulated launch with a rocket engine secured to the ground) is set to take place at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida November 2nd, according to CNBC. Engadget has contacted SpaceX for comment.
Boeing messages hint staff may have misled FAA about 737 Max
There have already been signs that the 737 Max's fatal safety flaw may have stemmed from misunderstandings, and now investigators appear to have more tangible evidence of this. Boeing has confirmed to Reuters that it gave the FAA instant messages indicating that pilots may have misled regulators about the performance of the MCAS anti-stall technology linked to two deadly crashes. The company's then-serving chief technical pilot told another pilot that he had "basically lied" to the FAA about MCAS during the 737 Max's certification process, albeit "unknowingly." That's consistent with earlier New York Times claims that the chief technical pilot didn't fully understand the system.
Boeing and Porsche are developing an electric 'flying car'
Boeing has teamed up with luxury sports carmaker Porsche to develop a concept for an electric vehicle capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) -- in other words, they're working on a "flying car." The companies' engineers will even collaborate to build and test a prototype based on the design they'll come up with, which will most likely be a premium VTOL model to stay true to Porsche's brand.
The dream of flying taxis may not be too far off
"Mark my words. A combination of airplane and motorcar is coming. You may smile. But it will come," Henry Ford quipped in 1940. Our dreams of cars capable of taking flight at the whim of their driver have been around nearly as long as we've had cars themselves, or at least as long as we've endured heavy commute traffic. Yet the prospect of actual, commercially available flying automobiles has always seemed to remain just out of reach, only a few years from viability. But even as drones become commonplace, are we really any closer to an age of aeronautical automobiles than we were in Ford's day?
Boeing may use two computers to fix 737 Max's latest flaw
Boeing may have a solution for the 737 Max flaw discovered in June. Both the AP and the Seattle Times claim the aircraft maker is developing new software that will take input from both of the aircraft's flight control computers to improve its reliability, rather than one at a time as it does today. This would both address the newer issue (more on that shortly) and increase the trustworthiness of the MCAS system whose fatal errors prompted the jet's grounding.
Cellphone interference still poses a risk aboard some Boeing jets
Even switching your phone to airplane mode won't keep it from being a risk on some Boeing jets. A 2014 FAA study revealed that some cockpit screens on Boeing 737 and 777 jets are vulnerable to interference from WiFi, cell phone signals or even weather radar. Bloomberg reported today that while many have been replaced, some jets still contain the outdated models built by Honeywell International, Inc.
European regulators demand changes to 737 Max autopilot
It's not just American officials who think Boeing's 737 Max software needs more polish. A Bloomberg source said that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has told Boeing to make five changes to the airliner before it can return to service. They're mostly consistent with the FAA's requests, including improvements to the angle of attack sensors, training, manual trim controls and a software flaw linked to a lagging chip. However, the EU regulators also want Boeing to address a previously unmentioned issue with the autopilot failing to switch off in some emergencies -- it might not give pilots enough time to prevent a stall.
Boeing teams with flying taxi startup Kitty Hawk on 'urban air mobility'
Two of the better-known names in flying taxi development are getting together. Boeing and Kitty Hawk have formed a partnership that will have the two foster "safe urban air mobility." While they're unsurprisingly keeping their exact plans under wraps, the team-up is described as mating Kitty Hawk's innovative side with Boeing's sheer size and experience in the aircraft business.
FAA discovers another potential risk with the Boeing 737 Max
The Federal Aviation Administration has discovered another potential risk with the grounded 737 Max that Boeing has to resolve. The issue emerged during a simulator test last week, according to Reuters. As such, a certification test flight isn't expected to take place until July 8th at the earliest, further delaying the plane's return to service.
Boeing is closer to ISS spaceflights after Starliner's final parachute test
Boeing's Starliner capsule has successfully touched down at the US Army's White Sands Missile Range even though it didn't deploy all of its parachutes. The company had to disable two of its over half a dozen parachutes, so it can pass the final and most difficult qualification test it needed to go through to be able to fly astronauts to the ISS. One of the reasons why the Government Accountability Office expects further delays to the Commercial Crew program is because Boeing still needs to conduct some parachute tests. This most recent success could mean Starliner's first flight could truly happen sometime this summer, like the company is hoping.
NASA could see more delays for SpaceX and Boeing private space flights
When NASA awarded Boeing and SpaceX contracts to develop vehicles that can take astronauts to the ISS, it was hoping they'll be done by 2017. Unfortunately, both companies grappled with technical challenges that forced them to delay their timelines. A new Government Accountability Office report even wants NASA to prepare for even more delays, as neither company is near to meeting all the agency's requirements for manned spaceflight.
Boeing reportedly left engineers, officials unaware of 737 Max changes
Boeing's overestimation of the 737 Max's safety may have been prompted in part by a simple but dangerous problem: many of the people involved weren't aware of the changes. The New York Times has claimed that some engineers, testers and regulators were unaware Boeing had made the jet's MCAS anti-stall system far more aggressive. They operated on the assumption the technology relied on two sensors when it was using just one, and a "compartmentalized approach" to development left key engineers without a full understanding of how the system worked.
Bird strike may have triggered software issue in second 737 Max crash
Investigators might know what triggered the software panic aboard an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max before its fatal crash, and it could be something Boeing considered months earlier. Unnamed officials talking to the Wall Street Journal claim that US aviation overseers "increasingly believe" that a bird collision may have sent flawed sensor data, leading to the jet's anti-stall code automatically pushing the nose down. Black box recordings show that a sensor was "sheared off" or otherwise broken soon after takeoff, experts said.
Boeing says its 737 Max software update is complete
Today, Boeing announced that it has completed the software update to its 737 Max planes. The update is meant to correct the software flaws that contributed to the Lion Air and Air Ethiopia crashes that killed 346 people in total. The update was expected in April, but Boeing needed extra time to guarantee that it had "identified and appropriately addressed" the problems that led to those crashes.
Boeing shows off its Starliner's latest parachute test
As SpaceX and Boeing continue with their commercial crew space race, Boeing posted this video showing a test of the parachutes on its Starliner vehicle. The plan is for the crew to parachute down in the American southwest after departing the ISS aboard Boeing's spacecraft, and keep it in good enough shape to be reused up to ten times. We've seen video of similar tests for the SpaceX Dragon capsule, and even close-up images of the Starliner crashing down on its airbags. The spacecraft's first uncrewed flight test has been pushed back repeatedly and is now on the schedule for August -- while we hope we never see these features deployed, they're important to test before anyone actually takes a ride in the thing.
Boeing delays its first Starliner test flight until August
For a while, Boeing and SpaceX have been neck-and-neck in their race to provide the first commercial space travel. That might be changing, as NASA and Boeing announced they'll delay the first uncrewed flight test of Boeing's Starliner. The spacecraft will now launch in August -- a full year after it was first scheduled to takeoff.
Boeing's 737 Max update is still 'weeks' away from FAA approval
It's going to be a long while before the FAA officially approves Boeing's 737 Max software update. The regulator said it expected the update to arrive in the "coming weeks," as Boeing needed extra time to guarantee that it had "identified and appropriately addressed" the problems that may have led to crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia. After that, the FAA still intends to conduct a "rigorous safety review."
Boeing explains its 737 Max software update
Boeing has detailed its promised software update for 737 Max jets, and it largely matches up with the rumored safety improvements that could reduce the likelihood of a crash. The anti-stall Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) will now compare the data from both of the 737's angle-of-attack sensors, rather than relying on one. If there's a disagreement of 5.5 degrees or more, MCAS won't kick in. The software will also reduce its input during an incident, and won't apply so much input to the stabilizers that the crew can't counteract it.
FAA 'tentatively' approves software fix for 737 Max jets
Boeing may be close to delivering its fix for the 737 Max's anti-stall system and preventing future tragedies. The Wall Street Journal has learned through documents and sources that the FAA has "tentatively" greenlit software and training updates pending some final simulation and real-world flight tests. They could make their way to airlines within a few weeks, according to the insiders, although there's still the possibility of last-minute revisions and changes to the timeline.
