Major pilots’ unions request FAA for new 737 MAX cockpit procedures

Major pilots’ unions have reportedly urged the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to improve cockpit procedures for Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft.

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and the Allied Pilots Association have made the ‘erroneous stick shaker’ alert proposal to the aviation regulator.

It was part of a 45-day public comment period for proposed 737 MAX design and operating changes by the FAA, Reuters reported.

In March 2019, Boeing temporarily suspended the operations of the entire global fleet of 371 737 MAX aircraft following two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, which resulted in the deaths of 346 people.

In both incidents, pilots reportedly struggled with the aircraft’s MCAS flight control system.

The British Airlines Pilots Association has proposed to the manufacturer about the addition of a third ‘angle of attack’ sensor to the aircraft.

Last month, Transport Canada successfully completed the validation testing activities of updated Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Last week, the US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in its final report on the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, revealed ‘serious flaws and missteps’ in the design development and approval of the 737 Max.

Meanwhile, the families of the victims from both crashes have expressed dissatisfaction with the company’s changes to MCAS and said it does not address the aircraft’s ‘underlying aerodynamic problem’.