Boeing holds test flights for 737 MAX fix: sources
Washington: US aviation authorities will defend their certification methods for new planes before lawmakers Wednesday, two weeks after grounding the Boeing 737 MAX over two deadly crashes in less than five months.
Boeing has flown test flights of its 737 MAX to evaluate a fix for the system targeted as a potential cause of the crashes, two sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
The aviation giant, which has been under fire and has seen its flagship narrow-body planes grounded since March 13, tested the system upgrade on Monday, two days after pilots from American and Southwest Airlines did simulation flights in Renton, Washington, the sources said.
Boeing needs authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before the MAX can return to service. But the company still has not submitted its proposed software patch to the FAA, a government source told AFP.
The aircraft was grounded following two deadly accidents involving Ethiopian Airlines earlier this month and Lion Air in October that together killed 346 people.
A Senate Commerce Committee panel will hold a hearing Wednesday to question FAA Acting Administration Daniel Elwell and Transportation Department Inspector General Calvin Scovel.
The session is set to be followed by a second hearing at a later date with Boeing, airline pilots and other stakeholders.
The officials are expected to face questions from lawmakers on the FAA's certification of the 737 MAX -- and whether regulators have become too cozy with the company and fast-tracked some approvals.
Engineers have been focusing on problems with the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), a stall prevention system designed to point the nose of the 737 MAX 8 downward if it is in danger of stalling, or losing lift.
The system has been criticized since it can malfunction and make it difficult for pilots to control the aircraft. Both of the recent crashes occurred moments after takeoff.
Boeing said it will be "carefully monitoring" the aviation officials' testimony, adding that "safety is our top priority." The FAA was "directly involved in the system safety review of the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS)," Elwell will tell lawmakers, according to prepared remarks seen by AFP.
"FAA engineers and flight test pilots were involved in the MCAS operational evaluation flight test," the remarks read.
"The certification process was detailed and thorough, but, as is the case with newly certified products, time yields more data to be applied for continued analysis and improvement."
However, Elwell is set to acknowledge that with increasingly complex systems, "our oversight approach needs to evolve to ensure that the FAA remains the global leader in achieving aviation safety." The FAA is expected to defend its practices, including the delegation of key testing and certification to Boeing in light of tight government budgets, said Scott Hamilton, an aviation expert with Leeham Company.
Lawmakers could push the FAA to pledge rigorous oversight before allowing the 737 MAX to return to service.
Elwell was set to concur, saying authorities will only allow the aircraft to fly again "when the FAA's analysis of the facts and technical data indicate that it is appropriate."
Preliminary results in the investigation into October's Lion Air crash in Indonesia indicate a single "angle of attack" sensor, which feeds data to the MCAS, malfunctioned but continued transmitting data to the plane's flight systems, including the MCAS.
Among the changes to the system, the MCAS would automatically be disabled in cases where there is disagreement between two sensors, the sources told AFP.
Boeing also intends to make standard on planes a "disagree light," to signal when the MCAS malfunctions. The feature currently is only available to airlines for an additional charge.
"Frankly, I think Congress itself should be testifying on its decades of underfunding the FAA to do its job of overseeing the aerospace industry (as well as modernizing Air Traffic Control)," said Hamilton. "But it won't take this responsibility." Scovel likely will be asked what he has learned so far in the Transportation Department's investigation into the FAA certification of the 737 MAX, which was requested by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.
Chao sought the audit to develop "an objective and detailed factual history" of the process of certifying the aircraft," she said in a memo to Scovel last week.
The MCAS was installed in the MAX because the engines are heavier than in the previous version of the 737.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft operated by Southwest Airlines made an emergency landing after experiencing an engine problem as it was being ferried from Florida to California, the US Federal Aviation Agency said.
Southwest said the plane experienced an engine problem "shortly after takeoff." "The crew followed protocol and safely landed back at the airport" around 3:00 pm (1900 GMT), spokesman Chris Mainz said.
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Indian mobile hospital treats over 2,200 cyclone-hit people as New Delhi ramps up relief efforts in
Colombo (PTI): A mobile hospital set up by India in Sri Lanka has provided medical care to over 2,200 people affected by Cyclone Ditwah, as New Delhi ramped up its assistance to the flood-ravaged island nation with engineering support and delivery of fresh relief consignments, the Indian mission here said on Sunday.
Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and severe infrastructure collapse triggered by the cyclone, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country's disaster-response capacity.
At least 627 people have been killed and 190 remain missing as of Sunday noon due to catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16.
Sharing a social media post by the Ministry of External Affairs on its X handle, the Indian High Commission said a field hospital set up by India in Mahiyanganaya near Kandy has provided medical care to more than 2,200 people affected by the cyclone since December 5.
The hospital has also performed 67 minor procedures and three surgeries, it said. The field hospital was airlifted to Sri Lanka by an IAF C-17 aircraft along with a 78-member Indian medical team on Tuesday.
In another post, the mission said Indian Army engineers, working with Sri Lanka Army Engineers and the Road Development Authority, in Kilinochchi have begun removing a damaged bridge on the Paranthan–Karachchi–Mullaitivu (A35) road, a key route disrupted by the cyclone.
"This joint effort marks another step toward restoring vital connectivity for affected communities," it said.
India has additionally sent nearly 1,000 tonnes of food items and clothing contributed by the people of Tamil Nadu. Of these, about 300 tonnes reached Colombo on Sunday morning aboard three Indian Naval ships.
High Commissioner Santosh Jha handed over the supplies to Sri Lankan Minister for Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe.
India, on November 28, launched 'Operation Sagar Bandhu', a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) initiative, to aid Sri Lanka in its recovery from the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Since the launch of the operation, India has provided about 58 tonnes of relief material, including dry rations, tents, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, essential cloths, water purification kits and about 4.5 tonnes of medicines and surgical equipment, the Indian mission said in a press release on Sunday.
Another 60 tonnes of equipment, including generators, inflatable rescue boats, Outboard Motors, and excavators, have also been brought to Sri Lanka, it said, adding that 185 tonnes of Bailey Bridge units were airlifted to restore critical connectivity along with 44 engineers.
Two columns of the National Disaster Response Force, comprising 80 experts and K9 units with specially trained dogs, assisted with immediate rescue and relief efforts in Sri Lanka.
Besides the field hospital in Mahiyanganaya, medical centres have also been set up in the badly hit Ja-Ela region and in Negombo. INS Vikrant, INS Udaygiri, and INS Sukanya provided immediate rescue and relief assistance to Sri Lanka.
Apart from the two Chetak helicopters deployed from INS Vikrant, two heavy-lift, MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force are actively involved in evacuations and airlifting relief material, the release said.
At the request of the Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre, a virtual meeting was organised between DMC and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s National Remote Sensing Centre on Saturday.
Since the onset of the disaster, ISRO has been providing maps to assist DMC in its rescue efforts, the release said.
