Yared Getachew, the captain onboard doomed Ethiopian Flight 302, never had Boeing 737 Max 8 simulator training, despite Ethiopian Airlines’ acquisition of a simulator months earlier.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, insiders at Ethiopian told the New York Times that Ethiopian had a Boeing 737 MAX 8 simulator up and running in January, but Captain Getachew never trained on it. Getachew last trained in a simulator in late September or early October. He had over 8,000 hours of training when the deadly crash occurred. It is not clear if the first officer had 737 MAX 8 simulator training. Ethiopian requires pilot simulator training every six months.
This represents an additional datapoint but is hardly dispositive in finding the root of the problem or assigning blame. Remember that Boeing claimed that experienced 737 pilots needed only minimal training to transition to MAX aircraft like the 737 MAX 8.
But it is noteworthy that Ethiopian acquired the simulator in response to the Lion Air 737 MAX 8 crash and was well-aware of the problematic M.C.A.S. system intended to prevent against stalls.
CONCLUSION
As the investigation continues we may well see two parties blamed instead of one. Assigning blame won’t bring back lives lost, but getting to the root of what went wrong will certainly help guide other pilots at Ethiopian Airlines and around the world.
> Read More: U.S. Commercial Pilot Addresses Boeing 737 MAX Safety
> Read More: 737 MAX Customers Have Nowhere Else To Turn But To Boeing…
It’s not as shocking as it sounds – the US airlines AFAIK don’t even have MAX 8 simulators to train pilots yet, so Ethiopian was well ahead of the curve on that one.
Please check out Ethiopian’s update…
Surely the critical point in this whole tragedy is that Boeing offered 2 packages for the MAX: one with all the safety features included, one without. The latter at a lower price.
I find that utterly SCANDALOUS and an appalling indictment of the company.
All safety features deemed essential ( yet to be determined how a FAA defined this) should be included in the sale price: and take it or leave it, no if’s or buts for cheapskate airlines.
Even tough Ethiopian have simulator, Boeing never compelled pilots to train on it prior flying Max 8. Various resources have already cited the training requirement for the new model Max 8 consisted only of few hours course and ipad training. Ipad! Go figure…
@Paolo,
What are you taking about? I’ve seen nothing about offering two safety packages on the MAX.
That the Captain had not trained in a MAX sim isn’t noteworthy in my opinion. It’s not needed and most operators don’t have one. Also the IPad training is par for the course when you have small differences like those between the MAX and the NG. My own airline is going to start taking 321Neos soon and our course of training is on our IPads as well.
Refers to the NYT article on this very matter ( I can’t link it because it’s behind a paywall).
Ok I found it. The AOA disagree light and an AOA indicator were offered as options on the MAX.
Things like this are completely normal in the industry. SWA for example made the decision after the Lion Air crash to pay for the AOA indicator on their MAX jets. Of course as a pilot I’d like to have every safety feature available installed but that’s not how it works. Boeing is far from unique in this respect.
I think he’s referring to being able to order a second AOA sensor as an option and not having it come standard.
It’s the lead article in nytimes. Boeing should have their shirts sued of their backs.
Not providing two safety features as standard, making MCAS take inputs from just one sensor and Boeing engineers certifying the max8 themselves. I already find Boeing guilty.
Let me guess most people working for Boeing are white Republican males ?
@Ben And yet, this did not avoid a disaster. Some curve, huh?
Yes but is it a motion??? 😉
8,000 hours of training? I don’t think so. He had 8,000 hours of recorded flying.
@surfer
Yah and the copilot was a newbie, who Sullenberger says should never had been in the cockpit.
While I think Boeing has serious questions to answer, it sure seems like pilot training IS also a factor in these incidents (i.e., the jumpseating Batik pilot who saved the Lion air flight before the one that crashed). And it would make sense that it’s Ethiopian, not Boeing, that decides pilot training requirements in Ethiopia (although, of course, Boeing supplies the info/materials)..
To me those articles about lack of simulator training on the 787 MAX feel like a smear campaign by Boeing.
Here’s why:
For starters they claimed that no additional training is necessary at all since the plane flies itself *exactly* like a 787 NEO. According to an AA pilot, the additional “training” consisted of a less than 1 hour iPad presentation. In fact: The no additional training communication was one of the main selling points of the plane.
Moreover: Would the simulator provide this scenario to train? My guess is not since apparently Boeing didn’t even consider this scenario. So I doubt it was reflected in the simulator.
While I can appreciate that they are a lot of legal constraints for Boeing’s communications their pencheant of throwing their customers and pilots under the bus in order to mask their quite obvious failures and omissions really doesn’t make them look good.
according to family he flew simulators twice in two years in miami.
29 years old and 8100 hrs, not bad.
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/africa/youngest-captain-loving-son-ethiopian-pilots-honoured-in-death