
Boeing 737 Max 8: The Battle over Blame - efftee
https://www.bbc.com/news/extra/sd9LGK2S9m/battle_over_blame
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cmurf
It's really an obscenity to propose the high airspeed was a function of power
and not (mis)trim. Trim dictates airspeed, and power dictates the rate of
climb or decent, with elevator as a moderator of both in addition to attitude.

A power reduction would cause a slight reduction in airspeed initially,
immediately followed by the airplane nosing down - a direct consequence of
positive static stability, a require aerodynamic feature of all FAR 25
transport category airplanes.

It's unfortunate the pilots didn't perceive the sabotage they were dealing
with sooner - I'm not sure how they could have without any prior knowledge of
the severity of the betrayal. A system that noses down this much this fast at
this altitude disregarding all other available information - it's flawed.
Pilots aren't a backup for a system that goes berserk and sabotages stable
flight. This system behaved indistinguishably from a human pilot who wanted
everyone on board dead - of course the system doesn't think maliciously, but
nor did it take all available information into account, and that single minded
approach of this system makes it deadly. Twice.

Precisely how and why would U.S. pilots have made a different decision in the
same situation? Stronger and more endurance to fight the plane for another 10
minutes at a slow climb, to have the altitude to correct the mistrim, a
technique which results in intentional porpoising and altitude loss? I'd
scoff, but that's more plausible than U.S. pilots realizing faster that the
automation is the saboteur, and deactivating it before the severe mistrim
occurs.

