3 ms·
Isn’t one of the legit criticisms of the max is that the behavior of the cutoff switch and the thumb control was changed without announcing it? Update from YKW
by tiahura 3y ago
Isn’t one of the legit criticisms of the max is that the behavior of the cutoff switch and the thumb control was changed without announcing it?
Update from YKW:
Yes, the trim system behavior in the 737 MAX differed from that in older 737 models like the 737NG (Next Generation). In older models, manually adjusting the trim using the thumb switch would generally interrupt and disable automatic trim adjustments, including those by the Speed Trim System, a predecessor to MCAS.
In the original 737 MAX design, using the thumb switches to adjust the trim didn’t necessarily disable the MCAS, which could re-activate and adjust the trim again. This was a significant point of contention and contributed to difficulties pilots faced in maintaining control of the aircraft during the two fatal crashes.
- WalterBright 3y agoThe MCAS system could be overridden with the electric thumb switches, and both crews did just that. What they didn't do is then turn it off. The stab trim cutoff switch turns it off. When the MCAS reactivated, then it was time to cut it off. The LA crew restored trim to normal with the thumb switches 25 times.