Boeing 737 Airplanes:
SCANDAL KOLIN BRANDEIS, staff writer
B
oeing, the worldwide aircraft supplier, created “the next workhorse in aviation” in 2017. The Boeing Max 737, fitted with more fuel-efficient engines and updated equipment and cabins, would have a longer range, a lower operating cost and would be reciprocal enough with previous models so pilots could adapt with ease. However, shortly after the release, there were several major plane crashes involving the Boeing 737 Max. In the first reported crash on October 29, 2018, Lionair flight 610 plummeted into the Java Sea just 13 minutes after the three months old plane took air. The flight, originating from Indonesia, took the lives of 189 people. Just months after, another four months old 737 Max crashed just 14 minutes after takeoff on its way to Kenya, killing 157 passengers. To make it worse, on January 7, 2020, a Ukranian Boeing 737800 plane crashed in Iran killing roughly 170 people. Facing intense backlash, Boeing needed to take immediate and effective action in response to the woes of the “workhorse of aviation.” Initial crash reports
portrayed that both of the late 2018 crashes happened as a result of poor design on Boeing’s part and issues in the MCAS software. The MCAS, or Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, was new software equipped in all the new 737 Maxes to make the plane fly and feel like other 737 models. While Boeing did establish a waterfall in their museum to commemorate the loss of the victims of the Lion Air crash, they have not publicly denied the initial crash reports. Historically, Boeing has been known for placing blame on pilots rather than the planes themselves. However, the tide has changed as a result of the recent crashes. In early March 2019, all 737 Max Boeing planes were grounded, and on December 23, 2019, the CEO of Boeing, Dennis Muilenburg, was fired. Recently, Dave Calhoun was hired as the new CEO for Boeing and caught a big break when Iran admitted that they shot down the plane unintentionally as it was flying over a warzone. Although this does give hope for Boeing’s future, Calhoun faces a tough task to bring the world aircraft carrier out of adversity and public distrust. THE CHARIOT | 9
