Your Next Holiday......

[ToraToraTora]

You arrive at the airport and get checked in and are about to board when you look out of the window and see the plane is a 737 MAX. Would you get on it?
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/boeing-737-max-software-mcas-ethiopian-airlines-crash-a8891686.html
I don't care what assurances the CEO gives I want the pilot to be able to turn the software off if he needs to. 300+ people are dead because of poor software and an increasing arrogant belief that software is fool proof. I've worked all my life in software and there is no way I'd get on one of these.

[237SJ]

They will probably be OK eventually, when the problems are ironed out. There were problems when the A320 started, and the B787 and don't even mention the Death Chance (DC10).

[Rockrose]

Yes I would still go on it

[jno]

Prudie, they occasionally change planes quite late in the day. If you've prebooked a seat that doesn't exist, they'll move you to one that does (with luck).

[DTCwordfan]

there's more chance of a serious accident on the way to the airport than being on a MAX......

[237SJ]

Absolutely (the Max is grounded)

[sanmac]

237SJ, do you mean in the States?

[Huderon]

I'd get on it, not that any are flying at the moment, so it's not an issue for anyone's holiday flights for now.

According to an NYT piece on them ( https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/03/11/world/boeing-737-max-which-airlines.html ) an analysis of data from Flightradar24 showed that there were some 8600 flights per week of the Max which first went into service in May 2017.

That's a lot of flights with no crashes before the Lion Air one, so my guess is that in most circumstances it is a reasonably safe plane.

Even so, the back story to the crashes is interesting. The anti-stall system works with two sensors on the aircraft, but will kick in if only one of those sensors thinks the plane is likely to stall. On top of that, the FAA and Boeing decided that pilots didn't need to know about that system, so a description of it was omitted from the flight crew manual which is used by airlines as the basis for documentation and training. A readout and alarm system which would alert the flight crew if the two sensors disagreed was seen as an optional extra for which Boeing could charge airlines.

Oops doesn't come anywhere near close ... And the US Department of Transport (who technically oversee the FAA) has now called for a complete audit of the process which led to the 737 Max being given certification.