An opportunity to learn

The frenzy was further fed when Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released an airworthiness directive (AD) to operators of the 737 MAX. This AD reminded operators and crews alike of the ramifications of a runaway stabiliser and the associated checklists and enunciated warnings. Rather than a definitive response, it is a cautionary and practical reaction to a possible cause based upon the very limited information on-hand at the time.

With the tragedy still so fresh in the mind, the news agencies clamber for any new snippet of information to satisfy the thirst of their readers. The technical accuracy and quality of the source too often rates a distant second to the facts. It whips up gossip and ill-informed conjecture, but is fantastic for the online click-through rates and the newsstand sales.

The reality is that there are no quick answers, and even fewer quick solutions. An aircraft accident is a very complex beast that draws together the strands from a range of threads. There are human factors at play, possible technology issues, and then there’s the interface between the two.

Environmental conditions, the weight and balance of the aircraft, its specific maintenance history and the background, qualifications and currency of are all elements of the well-known ‘Swiss Cheese’ model devised by Dr James Reason. However, before those slices can even be arranged and examined for shortcomings, there is a huge amount of data collection and inter-agency co-operation that is needed.

Pivotal are the flight data recorder (FDR) and the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and, at the time of writing, only the FDR has been found. Consequently, while the FDR can provide valuable flight data including the pilots’ control inputs, it neither offers the same insight into the crew’s discussions as to what they perceived as the problem, nor how they set about addressing it. The two recorders examined together provide a far fuller picture.
And while Indonesian investigators will go about their work, it is not uncommon for agencies from other nations to offer assistance. Air traffic control audio tapes and radar plots, and even eyewitnesses and smartphones, can contribute to the knowledge pool in the modern world. Boeing will no doubt be actively involved as will the manufacturers of various components. Furthermore, other operators of the 737 MAX may well be approached to see if any similar events have been experienced around the world.

For the moment, the discussion appears to be centred about the angle of attack sensor and the possibility of erroneous data being generated, but these are still very early days. Even if this is found to be the fault, the crew’s actions, the level of automation and the ambient conditions are just some of the further details to provide a thorough context. Only when all of these many variables are examined, considered, applied or dismissed can a truly full picture begin to form and specific action be taken.

Unfortunately, for many media outlets, the time frame is too great. To satisfy their audience’s need for instant gratification, they will have most likely moved on to the next sensational headline to sell their product; the investigative process is slow and meticulous and that doesn’t sell. When the findings are finally made known, they may well escape the attention of the mainstream unless there is something controversial to reignite the story. And that’s a shame, because it is that thorough examination and corrective action that is a trademark for aviation safety, not glamorous or worthy of the front-page months after an accident.

‘Unfortunately, for many media outlets, the time frame is too great.’

For those involved in the industry, such a tragedy strikes close to home but is also recognised as an opportunity to learn from those that have gone before. To ignore any lessons that can be learned is not only arrogant but also disrespectful to those who have lost their lives. If any good can come out of such a terrible loss, then it is the knowledge that we can use as a safeguard into the future.

Unfortunately, Lion Air Flight 610 will not be the last airframe lost, nor will it be the last time that the masses jump the gun and speculate while the professionals go about their work and investigate every facet of the accident. Perhaps the greater public may never learn or understand the full story. But then again, perhaps late one evening they will revisit the loss as it is dissected in one of the air accident documentaries on their television.

And if that is the case, maybe next time they’ll draw a deeper breath and pause, aware that an investigation is a complex matter and no quick answers or fixes are forthcoming.

Maybe. We can only hope.