Boeing’s 737-MAX is flying again
Lesson summary
Hi there, thanks for joining us for Plain English lesson number 333. I’m Jeff; JR is the producer; and this full lesson can be found at PlainEnglish.com/333.
Coming up today: Boeing’s troubled 737-MAX is back. The plane had been grounded for almost two years following deadly crashes in Asia and Africa. But the planes have new software and new training and have been approved to fly in two countries. The expression today is “in the eyes of.” And on our video lesson, we talk about how to use the word “besides” to introduce a related point. That’s a good one and available at PlainEnglish.com/333.
Boeing’s 737-MAX is back
Two years after Boeing’s 737-MAX was grounded for safety reasons, the modern fuel-efficient regional jet is in the air again.
You’ll remember from Lesson 139 that two 737-MAX planes crashed within a short period of time, one in the Indonesia and another in Ethiopia. Almost 350 people died in those crashes. Investigations later discovered that in certain cases the plane’s onboard computers were pushing the plane’s nose downward just as pilots were trying to take off. The result was that the pilot, trying to point the plane up, was fighting the plane’s own onboard computer, which was pushing the nose down. The pilots didn’t have enough training on the software, so they didn’t know how to override the computer.
An investigation by worldwide aviation authorities discovered that Boeing employees had deceived regulators. Pilots would not need to undergo simulator training, the Boeing employees said, because the changes between the 737-MAX and previous 737’s were not significant. Boeing didn’t want pilots to need extensive training because it would make the planes seem more expensive in the eyes of their customers, the airlines.
That deception was costly, and not just in lives lost or the blow to Boeing’s reputation. Earlier this month, Boeing agreed to pay over $2 billion in fines and victim compensation. It also paused manufacturing and designed software and hardware modifications to make the existing 737 Max’s safe again.
Prior to the plane’s grounding, Boeing had delivered about 350 planes to airlines around the world. It then finished manufacturing over 450 more planes—but did not deliver them to airlines. That means about 800 planes need to be modified. Pilots also need to be trained—thoroughly, this time.
So far, Brazil and the US have approved the modified 737-MAX to fly again. The Brazilian airline Gol became the first air carrier to fly the new Max in early December; that flight went between Sao Paulo and Porto Alegre.
In the US, four carriers are set to fly the 737-MAX: American, United, Alaska, and Southwest. All carriers said they would tell passengers in advance that their flight would be aboard a 737-MAX, and any passenger would have the flexibility to change flights for no fee if they’re uncomfortable.
The first flight in the US was on December 29. It was operated by American Airlines and flew from Miami International Airport to New York’s La Guardia Airport. The pilot, Captain Sean Roskey, said that the aircraft was a 737-MAX in his pre-flight announcements, and many people on the plane started applauding. Of course, with all the publicity, everyone on board the plane already knew!
To boost confidence in the aircraft, Captain Roskey’s wife and the first officer’s mother were both on board. Robert Isom, the president of American Airlines, was also on board. The top official at America’s Federal Aviation Administration, Steve Dickson, took a test flight in September and said he had total confidence in the plane.
It’s not yet clear whether the public will trust the new 737’s. The first flight leg was full of enthusiasts and airline employees; many were on the flight just to say they were there. The return leg was different. People who took the return flight from New York to Miami were not as excited to be on a 737-MAX: many were worried and were finding out for the first time at the gate.
A public opinion poll showed that 57 percent of Americans would not want to fly on the new 737-MAX. Airlines are running a reduced schedule due to COVID, so they have the opportunity to reintroduce the plane gradually into their schedules, allowing customers to rebook at another time if they want.
Travel by air is one of the safest ways to travel, so it’s likely that after a few months of incident-free flying, the public will embrace the 737-MAX again. Besides, airlines have discovered the number one concern their customers have, and it isn’t safety: it’s finding the lowest price.
Would you fly?
I think I’d be comfortable on a 737-MAX. You’ve got to believe that this is the safest airplane in the sky. All eyes are on this plane and its safety record. The airlines, the pilots’ unions, the regulators, Boeing itself—they all have too much at stake. I think I would be comfortable riding on one—once I start flying again.
I know we have pilots in the audience, and we have Brazilian pilots in the audience, so if you’ve got a perspective to share, the place to do that would be the Facebook group for listeners at PlainEnglish.com/Facebook.
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