Chicago (TAN): Boeing has said it “did not intentionally or otherwise deactivate the disagree alert on its MAX airplanes”.
This comes following reports that Southwest Airlines, the largest 737 MAX customer, did not know that the disagree alert feature was deactivated on the MAX aircraft before the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes. This feature warns pilots about malfunctioning sensors.
In a statement issued Monday, Boeing said it included the disagree alert as a standard feature on the MAX, although this alert has not been considered a safety feature on airplanes and is not necessary for the safe operation of the airplane.
“Boeing did not intentionally or otherwise deactivate the disagree alert on its MAX airplanes,” it said. “The disagree alert was intended to be a standard, stand-alone feature on MAX airplanes. However, the disagree alert was not operable on all airplanes because the feature was not activated as intended.”
The airline said the alert was tied or linked into the angle of attack indicator, which is an optional feature on the MAX. “Unless an airline opted for the angle of attack indicator, the disagree alert was not operable.”
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However, Boeing went on to add: “As the MAX safely returns to the air after the software modifications are approved and certified, all MAX production aircraft will have an activated and operable disagree alert and an optional angle of attack indicator.”
“All customers with previously delivered MAX airplanes will have the ability to activate the disagree alert per a service bulletin to airlines,” the company said.
It reiterated that when the MAX returns to the skies, it will be among the world’s safest planes to fly.
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