The publication of the directive by the
It said the step signals “its intention to approve the aircraft to return to
Regulators around the world grounded the Max in
The move by the EASA, which is based in
“EASA made clear from the outset that we would conduct our own objective and independent assessment of the 737 Max, working closely with the
Investigations into the accidents revealed a primary cause in both cases was a software function program known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System or MCAS. EASA said its probe began with a review of the MCAS but went far beyond.
“I am confident that we have left no stone unturned in our assessment of the aircraft with its changed design approach,” Ky said.
“Each time when it may have appeared that problems were resolved, we dug deeper and asked even more questions. The result was a thorough and comprehensive review of how this plane flies and what it is like for a pilot to fly the Max, giving us the assurance that it is now safe to fly.”
EASA said one “fundamental problem” of the MCAS, which was intended to make the aircraft easier to handle, was that many pilots did not even know it was there.
The airworthiness directive seeks to address that human factor, proposing not only changes to the aircraft design but also requiring a mandatory training program for pilots, including flight simulator training.
The European directive requires the same changes as those mandated by the
But EASA also explicitly gives flight crews more leeway to intervene to override automatic systems, and mandates, for the time being, that the aircraft’s autopilot should not be used for certain types of high-precision landings.
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