Boeing 737 Cockpit-Then and now

1967

2017

The tragedies of Lion Air and now Ethiopian Airlines, resulting in the loss of 346 lives within 5 months, as a consequence of flying a recent technological aircraft variant of the Boeing 737 series, raises questions and concerns as to its airworthiness, both internal and external to the aviation industry. The agony of what transpired is felt by the staff and students of the University of Trinidad and Tobago Aviation Campus, and we stand in solidarity with the families and friends of those who perished in these recent tragic aviation events.

Loss of life should never be the statistical phenomenon upon which industry advancements are made, yet still it is the stark reality of a dynamic and relatively safe industry in comparison to other means of mass transportation. The world and its people expect that success stories of engineering and technology would be built on robust platforms of creative imagination, innovation and design, supported by rigorous regulatory oversight. Aviation standards and codes should facilitate cross border collaboration and overarching rigor to protect the very thing that is being invented in the interest of humanity. However, it is often the horrific experience of tragedy which fuels the drive for improvement, and for which the Aviation industry is culpable, given the many instances of aircraft tragedies in its over one-hundred-year history of powered flight.

UTT's aviation faculty and students, who are engaged in the educational pursuit of Aircraft Maintenance Engineering and Aeronautics, expect that Boeing, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and all sovereign National Aviation Authorities (NAA) including our own regional entity, the Caribbean  Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System (CASSOS) and the Caribbean Center for Expertise in Aviation Safety (CCEAS), will activate all resources in the determination and rectification of the cause of these two events, with full public disclosure.

Whether the outcome of these ongoing investigations determine faults due to technological malfunction, software glitches, hardware failure or live ware (people) deficiencies, the resulting actions must do more to reinforce its commitment to tragedy prevention. From concept to production, flight testing to certification, and from sale to aftermarket support, there must be clarity of process and feedback for analysis so that these failures will never happen again and the loss of 346 lives would not have been in vain.

Their families demand it, the traveling public demands it. The world demands it.

BOEING 737 SERIES

The Boeing 737 series is probably the most ubiquitous aircraft in the industry and will continue to serve the world of air transportation, when the furor of recent tragedies have dissipated. As such it is important to provide some context and perspective in regard to the Boeing 737, in addition to what is available publically.

The Boeing 737 series of aircraft is built on a very solid historical engineering and design platform with over 50 years of progressive development. From the classics of 1967 to the 'Next Generation' variant and now the 'Max 8 and 9', the 737 series have registered over 10,000 deliveries, with over 5000 currently in line to be manufactured on Boeing's order books.

The first 737 had capacity for 100 passengers and a range of approximately 1,150 miles (the distance between Trinidad and Jamaica). 'Next Generation' 737s (NGs) which include the 600, 700, 800 and 900 series, have a carrying capacity and flight distance of almost twice that number.

The NGs 'middle-of-the-road' capacity and range, coupled with its efficiency and reliability and its 'single aisle' functionality, made it attractive to low-cost carriers (LCC). The rapid rise of these no-frills airlines in the late Eighties and Nineties propelled staggering sales of the 737 - more than 400 were produced between 1991 and 1992, and production has continually increased since.

The first 737-700 aircraft was handed to Southwest Airlines (the world's largest LCC) in 1998, and they now command a fleet of 754 aircraft – all of which are 737s. This move directly inspired Europe's biggest low-cost carrier, Ryanair, who now boast a fleet of 438 aircraft – again all of which are 737s.

The model also has a remarkably excellent safety record. The fatal accident rate for the early 737s (100 and 200 series) was 0.89 for every million departures and 0.09 for the NGs; rates which compare favorably with other aircraft. The Airbus A310, for example, a contemporary of the Classic 737, has a fatal accident rate of 1.85 per million departures, while the A330 and the Boeing 777, contemporaries of the Next Generation 737s, have fatal accident rates of 0.21 and 0.2, respectively. (Telegraph March 2018)

The Max 8 variant which was launched in 2011 and gained FAA certification in 2017, was poised to deliver even greater levels of safety and efficiency, while continuing its legacy of being the bestselling aircraft of all time. Quieter, faster, and friendlier to the environment, it attracted many customers including our own Caribbean Airlines (CAL), who recently committed to twelve Max 8 units.

CAL has been operating the 'Next Generation' version of the 737-800 for the last eighteen years and has institutional knowledge in the engineering and flight operating areas of this fleet. This is further supplemented by its knowledge of operating competitive equivalents to the 737, from its experimentation with The Airbus 321 to the incorporation of the Air Jamaica expertise into the organization back in 2010, embellishing the organization's experience with Airbus technology.

One can logically surmise therefore, that the fleet selection process undertaken in choosing the Max 8 over rival units would have been a rigorous one, supported by institutional expertise and data-driven business strategy. Recent comments by top level CAL executives and shareholder representatives indicate that they will await the outcome of evidential information from the relevant authorities before committing to an alternative course of action. However, one should also expect that while waiting on the outcome of investigations, CAL would be engaged in contingency planning strategies and scenario simulations with the Board of Directors and executives.

These recent fatal events of the MAX 8 variant have brought to the forefront once again the fabled life of the Boeing 737, and brings into question the levels of control that mega-players such as Boeing and Airbus have over the entire air transportation industry as well as geo-political power structures. Concerns have been openly expressed over the pace and process of technological advancements in the duopoly environment that is Boeing and Airbus and its implications for safety.

There are many reports in recent media highlighting fears relating to the co-mingling of the regulatory responsibility and producer responsibility in such large organizations, and its implication for the weakening of oversight and mandatory directives, in quality control and assurance. While industry practice has been to devolve levels of responsibility to Air Operators and Approved Maintenance Organizations through the certification process, with regulatory oversight through audit and certification renewal procedures, the question now arises as to whether having the regulator embedded within the producer organisation is good practice (as is reportedly existing within Boeing). (nyt.com 2019/03/12)

CONCLUDING THOUGHT

Our expressed trepidation on CAL's recent commitment to lease twelve 737 Max 8 airplanes is valid, and given local cultural precepts, will continue for some time. We anticipate that the coming months would engender deep thought and critical debate as we all participate in paving the way forward, whether as an operator, regulator or educator. Our country and region may be small in the global scheme of Aviation but we can be impactful in the area of safety. Investigations are still under way and we await the expert feedback that is expected and demanded from an industry that values full disclosure in the interest of safety.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those lost in this recent tragedy.

Parissram Jaggernath
Director Aviation
Contribution by-Marlon Indarpersad
The University of Trinidad and Tobago Aviation Campus Camden.