Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Tuesday April 09 2019, @11:03AM   Printer-friendly
from the pulled-the-handbrake-as-hard-as-I-could dept.

A 2018 FAA (Federal Aviation Administration directive advised pilots to handle MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) failure by disabling electric control of stabilizer trim using a pair of cutout switches. Pilots would then need to use a hand crank to move the stabilizer back to the desired position. It's noted that previous 737 models had separate switches to disable autopilot and electric stabilizer control, but the 737 MAX lacked this distinction.

Avionics engineer Peter Lemme explains how aerodynamic forces acting on the stabilizer and elevator in a nose-down situation would oppose pilots' attempts to correct the trim using their manual control.

A 1982 Boeing 737-200 Pilot Training Manual acknowledges this possibility, describing a series of maneuvers which can be used to relieve force on the controls and allow incremental correction of trim. However, it's suggested that the Ethiopian Airline plane had already gained too much speed and lost too much altitude for such a maneuver to be possible.

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2019/04/ethiopian-airline-crash-boeing-and-faa-advice-to-737-max-pilots-was-insufficient-and-flawed.html
https://www.satcom.guru/2019/04/stabilizer-trim-loads-and-range.html


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday April 09 2019, @02:17PM (11 children)

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday April 09 2019, @02:17PM (#826755) Journal

    The insurance companies have it down to the penny.

    The insurance industry is notorious for having it down to the penny, and then finding out their costs are double what they thought because they missed a big risk.

  • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Tuesday April 09 2019, @02:55PM (10 children)

    by fustakrakich (6150) on Tuesday April 09 2019, @02:55PM (#826794) Journal

    No biggie, extra costs are just tacked on to the premiums, and the temporary loss is a nice tax deduction written into the code just for them.

    --
    La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 09 2019, @03:27PM (2 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 09 2019, @03:27PM (#826821)

      No biggie,

      It's actually the largest "biggie" they have. If they calculate the risks wrong, like actuarial tables and they are providing life insurance, then they can get royally fucked as the payouts starts rolling while they collected much less in premiums. There is no retroactive premiums!

      temporary loss is a nice tax deduction written into the code just for them.

      Ok, so I'm sure you never really run any business, *ever*. Having a loss is not exactly good for the business.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 09 2019, @04:19PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 09 2019, @04:19PM (#826868)

        There is no retroactive premiums!

        The costs are spread around the customer base. That's how shit works

        Ok, so I'm sure you never really run any business, *ever*.

        Yeah, and I'm sure you're talking out yer ass. The occasional loss is to be expected, and can easily be covered elsewhere. You really are full of it...

      • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday April 09 2019, @05:11PM

        by bob_super (1357) on Tuesday April 09 2019, @05:11PM (#826907)

        > they can get royally fucked as the payouts starts rolling while they collected much less in premiums.

        If only anyone had thought of that problem before ...
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinsurance [wikipedia.org]

    • (Score: 1) by Coward, Anonymous on Tuesday April 09 2019, @04:00PM (1 child)

      by Coward, Anonymous (7017) on Tuesday April 09 2019, @04:00PM (#826849) Journal

      General Electric stock is in the toilet due to miscalculated insurance premiums.

      • (Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Tuesday April 09 2019, @04:12PM

        by fustakrakich (6150) on Tuesday April 09 2019, @04:12PM (#826859) Journal

        Normal ebb and flow. When the price drops to the right level, that will be the time to buy. And I really doubt that it was a "miscalculation". Very little is left to chance.

        --
        La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
    • (Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday April 09 2019, @04:56PM (4 children)

      by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday April 09 2019, @04:56PM (#826894) Journal

      No biggie, extra costs are just tacked on to the premiums

      Unless, of course, they go bankrupt first!

      • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday April 09 2019, @05:14PM (2 children)

        by bob_super (1357) on Tuesday April 09 2019, @05:14PM (#826908)

        Never a fan of repeating myself, but you might have missed it right above:
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinsurance [wikipedia.org]

        • (Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday April 09 2019, @05:25PM (1 child)

          by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday April 09 2019, @05:25PM (#826925) Journal
          Reinsurance only goes so far.
          • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday April 09 2019, @05:35PM

            by bob_super (1357) on Tuesday April 09 2019, @05:35PM (#826934)

            Far enough for hurricanes ... definitely far enough for planes crashes, unless they happen the day of The Big One in CA or Yellowstone.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 09 2019, @05:42PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 09 2019, @05:42PM (#826938)

        Yeah, bankruptcy is a good thing, works for getting out of their obligations. So the bill just goes on to another company's premium, brothers in arms and all that. And golden parachutes galore for the board of the bankrupt company, which will miraculously *rise from the ashes* like it never happened. You can hardly find a more crooked business than insurance...

        Anyway, fuck this shit. It's offtopic, other than that big business fucks up insurance, and it fucks up airplane design. And you, trolling away, are always standing up for it. Still think you're just a clown.