[Skybird]

Latest theory is about blowback, meaning that the plane gained so much speed that the airstream hitting the ailerons defeated the hydraulic pressure of the system trying to move them - the plane than practically is uncontrollable and cannot be saved by pilot input if it does not by lucky events loose speed again before the hydraulic system suffered unrepairable damage already.



That speed could have been accumulated due to chnaged geometry due to bigger engine size - with the whole design not having been properly tested and the MCAS having been an improper attempt to fix it with - a not properly tested software solutionb that additionally was not properly advertised to avoid cetifcaiton delays and so was not properly included in pilot instructions.


A report in Der Spoiegel today said a former Boeing engineer said that the pressure was immense and worse than ever before when some years ago Americna airlines planned to buy Airbus A320 Neos. Boeing needed a quick reply to counter that threat and the result weas that they did this re-engineering project, but in less than half of th etime that itr would have needed if all internal security rpoutines by Boeing would have been followed. In other words: Boeing broke its own standards and security orutines, and lied about it to the authorities. Also, cockpit modernisation steps that would have been in demand were left out, due to time pressure.



When I red about it it reminded me of the problems of fighter pilots in WWII vintage aircraft who may have dived so fast unto their targets that they could not pull in time anymore since they had left the speed envelope inside which they could still move the flaps and ailerons with the stick. Battle of Britain 2 was a simultaion simulating this effect - it was terrifying at times.



When the blowback thing is true, the whole design of the aiframe is in question , and just some addings to the code of the MCAS most likely cannot fix it. And after 300+ people dead and two planes lost under identical conditions of malfunctioning.


It looks very much as if Boeing made a big, huge pile of self-made poo on its doorstep. It could turn out to become much more hurting for Boeing than the A380 that led Airbus into a dead end. First airlines have called for cancellation of their orders - and its no big guess that they will go with the A320Neo instead.