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Dec. 4, 2020
"Are we going to arrive safe and sound?" This is the question that must have been asked by the 87 passengers who inaugurated the re-flight of the aircraft, grounded in two tragic crashes.
The first consumer flight of a revised and corrected Boeing 737 MAX welcomed 87 passengers, mostly journalists, Wednesday between Dallas, Texas and Tulsa, Oklahoma. For this promotional flight intended to dispel fears and to convince people of the reliability of this aircraft, American Airlines has pulled out all the stops. The company plans to restart commercial flights on December 29 aboard the 737 MAX, grounded for 20 months after two close-quarters accidents that killed 346 and re-authorized to fly in the United States since November.
Boeing 737 MAX
The plane had been grounded for twenty months following two crashes that left 346 dead.
On take off, flight attendants, as usual, presented safety instructions before handing out snacks and bottles of water. The only peculiarity: the captain, Pete Gamble, greets the passengers by assuring them that women and men had done everything to reestablish the "safety chain", broken by the accidents of Lion Air (189 dead) in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines (157 dead) from March 2019.
Thorough inspection
"Between the changes to the systems, the vigilant review of each device and the training we have put in place, the level of confidence has really risen," said the captain. “(The 737 MAX) needed a thorough inspection, it was done.”
Before taking control of the aircraft, each American Airlines pilot must first complete a two-hour training session on an iPad, before spending an hour alone in a simulator, then two hours with a colleague during which they will experience several scenarios. incidents.
No feverishness on board
"Are we going to arrive safe and sound?" The question had no doubt crossed the minds of some passengers on Wednesday. Aside from some turbulence in a grayish sky, the fifty-minute flight went off without a hitch. Masked on their faces, scattered throughout the plane and separated by an empty seat, the passengers were calm, showing no particular excitement.
Boeing 737 MAX Maneuvering Augmentation System
For a passenger with no specific aviation knowledge, nothing really sets the Boeing 737 MAX apart from the 73-8x lettering on the front wheel. The safety cards slipped into the seat pockets only mention the number "737". A few details allow aviation enthusiasts to recognize it, such as the wing tips with split tips or the curved engine blades.
Customer's choice
American Airlines ensures that any customer purchasing a plane ticket will be notified if they are flying a 737 MAX. The company is committed to providing alternatives for any passenger who does not wish to fly on the device. “Safety is our priority. There are no exceptions, "asserts David Seymour, the operational director of the company, who wants to highlight the work done by mechanics, engineers and pilots.
A 34-year employee with American Airlines, Roger Steele “loves” the Boeing 737 MAX. He was present when the company received its first copy. He is now making sure they are ready to fly safely. Under a hangar at the company's maintenance base in Tulsa, he oversees all checks and changes imposed by regulators before any flight. Four intense days of work on each device.
Thorough checks
Shifts in the warehouse 24 hours a day on two devices at a time to check tire pressure, hydraulics, engines, tanks. It is necessary to update certain flight software in the cockpit, to modify the positioning of some cables.
All these measures are dictated by the United States Aviation Agency (FAA), which on November 19 authorized the plane, grounded around the world since March 2019, to fly under certain conditions. “We started work the same day,” says Steele.
Boeing 737-8 MAX
About twenty 737 MAXs are still outside on the tarmac. The maintenance teams took care of them "as if they were on duty," said Erik Olund, director of the Tulsa maintenance base. In addition to a mandatory check every 30 days, they started the engines and turned the wheels every ten days. The humidity level and tanks were closely monitored and cushions installed in the engines to prevent animals from entering.
The pilots present repeat the same refrain: there is no risk in flying the 737 MAX. American Airlines will operate a flight on a Boeing 737 MAX between Miami and New York on December 29.
Boeing: https://www.boeing.com/
Images, Text, Credits: ATS/Boeing/The Air Current/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.
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