Boeing 737 MAX one step closer to recertification

15 months since its global grounding, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing have operated one of the first recertification test flights with the Boeing 737 MAX.

A Boeing 737 MAX 7. Photo by Matt Lino | AeroNewsX

The aircraft, registered N7201S, a Boeing 737 MAX 7 departed from Boeing Field in Seattle at 16:54 UTC yesterday and performed a 3-hour test flight before landing back at Boeing Field at 21:27 UTC.

The Boeing 737 Max was grounded in March 2019 after two fatal Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes: Ethiopian Flight 302 and Lion Air Flight 610. Both incidents occurred shortly after take off, where the aircraft nose suddenly pitched down and the pilots were unable to regain control of the aircraft, killing all on board.

For months after the crash, Boeing was struggling to return the MAX to service, providing deadlines that were never met. Boeing stock price plummeted and customers cancelled orders for Boeing's top-selling aircraft, the Boeing 737 MAX.

The crash involving Boeing's Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was designed to prevent the aircraft nose from pitching too high, but investigations on both crashes revealed that the MCAS system failed and assumed that the nose of the aircraft was pitching dangerously high, causing the MCAS to push the nose down, putting the plane into a steep dive.

However, further investigation revealed that the MCAS isn't the only design flaw that the Boeing 737 MAX is equipped with.

Monday's test flight include high-speed tests and several manoeuvres that would put the plane into a steep turn that would nearly cause a stall, to recreate conditions that trigger the MCAS software.

The FAA said in a statement to CNN: "While the certification flights are an important milestone, a number of key tasks remain. The FAA is following a deliberate process and will take the time it needs to thoroughly review Boeing's work. We will lift the grounding orderly only after we are satisfied that the aircraft meets certification standards."

More certification tests will be conducted and it will take approximately three days according to the FAA. The recertification tests assess whether the changes made to the flight manoeuvres and emergency procedures meet the FAA certification standards.