by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:48 AM ET, Fri August 23, 2019
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is working with pilots from around the world to test changes made to the Boeing 737 MAX fleet following its grounding.
According to Reuters.com, FAA officials revealed it is looking for pilots who have ample experience with the 737 MAX and those with minimal experience to test the effectiveness of the flight-control software upgrades implemented by Boeing.
The testing process will gauge how well pilots of different skill levels handle the changes to the software. Tests will also take place within flight simulators instead of actual 737 MAX planes, as they remain grounded.
The FAA will not permit the 737 MAX fleet to fly again until officials deem it safe, which includes conducting the proper flight tests and analyzing the results. The planes were grounded after two deadly crashes caused by faulty sensor readings.
To combat the issues, Boeing implemented the use of two sensors for its flight-control software, called MCAS, to ensure the automatic nose-down movements of the planes will no longer be an issue.
In total, almost 400 of the impacted planes have been grounded since March, but Boeing has worked hard to meet its goal of submitting all necessary changes to the FAA by September with hopes of having the 737 MAX cleared to fly by November.
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