A new report by CNN says after the release of the preliminary crash report on Ethiopian Airlines flight 302, four Boeing employees called an Federal Aviation Administration whistleblower hotline. The hotline calls reportedly voiced concerns about the angle of attack sensor and the anti-stall system (MCAS). All four calls came on April 5. One call concerned a previously “unreported issue involving damage to the wiring of the angle of attack sensor by a foreign object” the CNN report states. The other calls expressed concerns “about the MCAS control cut-out switches, which disengage the MCAS software.”
An FAA statement to CNN said this: “Safety is FAA’s top priority, and we have a longstanding well-established aircraft certification process that has consistently produced safe aircraft. When certifying an aircraft, we do not consider a single factor in isolation. Rather, we look at the interaction of all elements and systems, in addition to human and other external factors. The single angle of attack sensor was considered in relation to a variety of other factors, specifically well-known pilot procedures that would mitigate the effects of a failure. MCAS design, certification tests, and cockpit procedures were evaluated using a standard industry approach to failure analysis.”
Aviation authorities from around the world are meeting Monday in Dallas, Texas, to discuss the concerns with the 737 Max.