Boeing CEO admits “mistake” in handling of problematic 737 MAX aircraft

Boeing CEO admits “mistake” in handling of problematic 737 MAX aircraft

Not long after apologising for the two deadly plane crashes involving 737 MAX aircraft, Boeing’s CEO has admitted the manufacturer made a mistake in its handling of the jets.

Speaking earlier this week at the Paris Air Show, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg told the media that the company’s communication with regulators, customers and the public was “not consistent” and “unacceptable”.

US lawmakers recently revealed that Boeing learned a cockpit warning light on the 737 MAX was “defective” in 2017, but decided to defer fixing it until 2020.

The defective warning light was responsible for alerting pilots when two sensors that measure the angle between the airflow and the wing disagree.

This “angle of attack” data is suspected of playing a role in two deadly crashes involving the jet in Indonesia in October and in Ethiopia in March.

Muilenburg admitted Boeing “clearly had a mistake in the implementation of the alert”, and promised to restore public trust in the 737 and the manufacturer with more transparency.

Boeing’s CEO also conveyed confidence that the aircraft would get the all clear to return to the sky later this year, and that the company would “take the time necessary” to make sure it was safe.

The US Federal Aviation Administration as signalled it is preparing to start flight trials of the proposed 737 MAX safety enhancement by Boeing as early as this week, according to The Australian.

Muilenburg’s admission follows his apology for the two deadly crashes involving the 737 MAX during a sit-down TV interview last month.

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