“It’s impossible to use them in civil aviation”: Boeing 737 MAX was banned in Russia

Flights of Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9 aircraft in Russian airspace are prohibited until specified. This was stated in Rosaviation.

The head of the department, Alexander Neradko, said that on March 12 and 13, airplanes of this type did not fly in Russia. "We are monitoring this situation ... So that citizens can be calm," - RIA Novosti quotes him.

The ministry noted that 387 737 MAX airplanes are in operation around the world, and their use is also suspended until the reasons for two major plane crashes involving liners of this model are clarified.

Recall that on the morning of March 10, near the Ethiopian city of Debre-Zeit, a crash of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft occurred. As a result, all 157 people on board were killed. Among them were representatives of 35 countries, including Russia. The liner of a similar model crashed less than six months before in Indonesia, while 189 people died.

The Rosaviation added that they continue to analyze information about the circumstances of the aforementioned aviation incidents and interacts with the representative office of Boeing in the Russian Federation and the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States.

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In addition, Neradko noted that Russian airlines themselves will decide issues with orders of 737 MAX aircraft.

“This is a matter of commercial agreements. All aspects of commercial agreements are unknown to us, but surely they contain some aspects related to force majeure, and something else. Each company will independently decide, ”said the head of Rosaviatsii.

S7 Airlines, the only operator of 737 MAX in Russia, announced the suspension of flights on these planes on March 12, before the announcement of the Rosaviation. Awaiting deliveries of the 737 MAX, UTair does not exclude changes in the delivery time of the aircraft, but it is still waiting for them from the manufacturer.

On the eve of the announcement by Rosaviatsiya, Boeing 737 MAX crashes were commented in the Ministry of Transport of Russia. According to the deputy head of department, Alexander Yurchik, the cause of the catastrophe could be design and certification deficiencies.

Yurchik mentioned this in the context of the discussion of the certification system in the Russian Federation. According to the minister, for its formation it is necessary to make a lot of effort.

“I draw your attention to the fact that this element of improving flight safety is vividly demonstrated in the situation that has now developed in the world with Boeing. Such a clearly visible situation is planned that it was precisely the flaws in the development and certification of the aircraft that led to the two catastrophes that occurred with the newest Boeing model, ”said Yurchik at the Rosaviation Board.

The autopilot system was uncertified, all such things need to be refined, said Sergey Krutousov, an aviation expert, in an interview with RT. In his opinion, while such problems have not been corrected, flights must be stopped.

“This is the current problem in aviation. Now everyone is driving, they want to quickly innovate and put on the market and get unfinished airplanes. I looked at the materials, there is a section in the manual about this system, but it is almost empty, and all this should be painted, ”the expert notes.

Krutusov stressed that the very decision of Boeing to release a car with such piloting features is surprising. The expert suggested that the company urgently needed money, as a result of which the aircraft entered the market.

“Judging by the way the pilots described the process of shutting down the autopilot system, it becomes clear that there would be no such system at all. The question is whether this will be finalized. To use a machine with such features in civil aviation can not be exactly. Probably, it is also possible for cargoes, ”the expert noted.

According to AP, at least two pilots of American airlines stated that the automatic piloting system provoked the involuntary tilting of the aircraft.

According to the agency, shortly after switching on the autopilot, the bow of the vessel was tilted sharply, but after the system was deactivated, the problem disappeared.

Krutousov believes that this is a serious problem, and sooner or later something like the two 737 MAX catastrophes could happen again.

"The car must be withdrawn from passenger traffic, at least, before the problem is not eliminated," the expert concluded.

"Black boxes" sent to France

On the evening of March 13, US authorities decided to suspend the Boeing 737 MAX flights until further notice. This was preceded by similar measures by aviation oversight agencies around the world and the United States remained the last major operator of the 737 MAX.

During a briefing at the White House, at which it became aware of the decision regarding the 737 MAX, US President Donald Trump expressed the hope that Boeing would find a way out.

“Boeing is an incredible company. Now they are working very hard. I hope that they will quickly find the answer, but until then the planes will be on the ground, ”said the US President.

The company itself supported the decision of the American authorities, but expressed confidence in the safety of their aircraft. Boeing recommended that the relevant US departments suspend 737 MAX flights, explaining such a proposal with precautionary measures.

Note that Reuters reported on the probability of admission of 737 MAX to flights without passengers. The agency referred to a possible appropriate decision by the US Federal Aviation Administration.

There are no reports on the progress of the investigation of the crash in Ethiopia, but the US supervisory authorities linked their decision to suspend 737 MAX flights with new information about the flight crash.

Meanwhile, the “black boxes” from the crashed airliner were taken to the Aviation Investigation Bureau for study. Ethiopian authorities previously asked for help from France in deciphering materials from the crash site.

“The Ethiopian delegation led by the Bureau of Aviation Investigation (AIB) sent the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and the Voice Recorder (CVR) to Paris for investigation,” says Ethiopian Airlines Twitter account.

The Ethiopian delegation led by the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has received data from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) for Paris, France for investigation.

Honored Test Pilot of Russia, Deputy Director of the State Institute of Civil Aviation Ruben Yesayan, in an interview with RT, suggested that the Boeing 737 MAX would be barred from flying throughout the investigation of the crash in Ethiopia.

“Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will not be used until the company, after examining the black boxes, determines the real cause of the disasters. After that, they will already talk about solving the problem, ”said the expert.

In his opinion, the aircraft of these models will not be back soon.

“Two very serious accidents happened to this plane, so the company will take a break and immediately find out their reasons. For a long time, these planes will stand without use in a number of countries, ”the expert concluded.