Boeing on Tuesday issued an Operations Manual Bulletin (OMB) to airlines flying the 737 MAX as a result of early findings in the investigation of last week’s fatal crash of Lion Air Flight 610 in Indonesia.
According to a statement released by Boeing, the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) has indicated that Flight 610, which was operated with a 737 MAX 8, experienced erroneous input from one of its angle of attack (AOA) sensors. Boeing said its OMB directs operators “to existing flight procedures to address circumstances where there is erroneous input from an AOA sensor.”
A statement from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday morning said the agency plans to mandate the Boeing bulletin by issuing an airworthiness directive.
“The FAA continues to work closely with Boeing, and as a part of the investigative team on the Indonesia Lion Air accident, will take further appropriate actions depending on the results of the investigation,” the statement said. “The FAA has alerted affected domestic carriers and foreign airworthiness authorities who oversee air carriers that use the 737 MAX of the agency’s forthcoming action.”
Boeing, as manufacturer of the accident aircraft, is providing support and technical assistance to the NTSC and other authorities responsible for the accident investigation.
Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea on Oct. 29 shortly after takeoff from Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on a scheduled flight to Pangkal Pinang Airport. All 189 passengers and crew died in the accident.
