The waters do not stand still regarding the Boeing 737 Max, which caused fatal crashes shortly after its launch. In a recent development regarding the eventful aircraft model, the chief technical pilot faced an interesting accusation.
Accordingly, former technical chief pilot Mark A. Forkner, who served on the Boeing 737 Max test, was charged with fraud by the Texas Court. The chief pilot, who determines the type of training a pilot needs to fly the plane and coordinates with the Federal Aviation Administration, allegedly withheld information that could prevent 737 Max crashes.
Fine to be paid for Boeing 737 MAX announced
The fine to be paid for Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which caused successive accidents due to manufacturing defects in the flight control system, has been determined.
Chief pilot gave incorrect information about the MCAS system
According to the indictment, the pilot misled the agency’s Aircraft Evaluation Group in evaluating and approving the 737 Max model. Accordingly, Forkner provided the FAA with incorrect and incomplete information about a new flight control section of the Boeing 737 Max’s maneuvering characteristics enhancement system (MCAS).
As you may recall, in both accidents, it was determined that MCAS, which was designed to push the nose of the aircraft down in certain situations, was activated during the flight. Because of this, the crashed planes Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines 302 had their noses down and crashed shortly after takeoff.
According to the Justice Department, Forkner discovered a significant change in MCAS in November 2016. However, he hid this information he discovered from AEG. Accordingly, the FAA has removed all references to MCAS from the pilot training materials for the 737 Max.
Earlier this year, Boeing agreed to pay the FAA $2.5 billion to clear conspiracy charges. It had also agreed to work with the FAA’s fraud division for ongoing and future investigations.
With all the information and facts, Forkner was charged with two counts of scams and four electronic scams involving gouache fragments. After these charges, the chief pilot could be sentenced to up to 100 years in prison.