Boeing 737 Max
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A manufacturing issue has pulled some Boeing 737 Max planes from service
It was only late last year that the Boeing 737 Max returned to service, but the long-troubled passenger jet has run into another problem.
FAA says the Boeing 737 Max can fly again
The FAA has approved the Boeing 737 Max's return to service after a long-in-the-making software fix — if also at a time when few people are flying.
EU regulator says Boeing 737 Max is safe to fly
A software-based safety upgrade may not be ready for another two years, however.
Boeing poised to start crucial 737 Max flight safety tests tomorrow
Boeing and the FAA are reportedly due to test-fly the 737 Max on June 29th after months of delays.
Boeing employees called designers of flawed Max 737 jets 'clowns'
In October of 2018, a Boeing 737 Max jet crashed into the Java Sea, killing everyone on board. Five months later, another crashed in Ethiopia, taking the lives of all passengers and crew. The tragedies caused aviation authorities across the globe to ground all 737 Max jets, and both Congress and the Federal Aviation Administration began investigations into how these accidents occurred. The Washington Post and The New York Times obtained over 100 pages of email and chat transcripts that were handed over to Congress as part of its investigation. The documents show that employees mocked the planes' designers, calling them "clowns, who in turn are supervised by monkeys," and had major concerns over the safety of the planes. Even before the first crash, one employee asked, "Would you put your family on a Max simulator trained aircraft?" "No," a colleague replied.
Boeing sold essential safety features as extras on 737 Max
Boeing charged airlines extra for two safety features that may have been able to detect in advance issues with the 737 Max planes involved in fatal crashes, according to the New York Times. The additional sensors provided checks on data collected by sensors on the planes and could have alerted pilots to potential issues. Boeing will now make one of those safety add-ons standard issue on the 737 Max.
US grounds all Boeing 737 Max planes
Less than one day after expressing confidence in Boeing's 737 Max fleet, the US government has decided to ground the plane involved in two recent crashes. According to CNBC, President Trump told reporters that the US was issuing an emergency order to ground both Boeing's 737 Max 8 and 737 Max 9 aircraft, following similar prohibitions in the UK, France, Germany, Australia, Indonesia, China and elsewhere. Trump made the decision in concert with FAA acting director Daniel Elwell and US transportation secretary Elaine Chao and had spoke with Boeing CEO about the move as well. "They are all in agreement with the action," he said. "Any plane currently in the air will go to its destination and thereafter be grounded until further notice."
