Pilots say the FAA must improve its proposal for training on the 737 Max.
U.S. pilot unions say the Federal Aviation Administration should improve its proposal for training pilots how to handle a nose-down pitch of the Boeing 737 Max, which was grounded after two deadly crashes.
See also: American plans 737 Max tours to convince passengers the plane is safe.
The union representing Southwest Airlines pilots said Monday that the FAA should reduce the number of steps pilots must remember and carry out in the type of emergency that occurred before both Max crashes, Associated Press reported.
The union said “error rates increase exponentially” with long checklists, and pilots in a simulator “found it difficult to recall the steps in order.”
See also: No timetable yet for Boeing 737 MAX’s return in China.
Pilots at American Airlines said that Max pilots should train for such an emergency every two years, not every three years as the FAA proposes.
Monday was the deadline for comments about the FAA’s training proposal. The agency could publish a final rule within weeks, clearing one of the last obstacles for airlines to resume using the plane. Boeing expects FAA approval before the end of the year.
Chicago-based Boeing has spent two years making changes to an automated flight-control system that has been implicated in the crashes. The system, called MCAS, pushed the noses of planes down based on faulty sensor readings, and pilots were unable to regain control.
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