How every Boeing 737 MAX was grounded in five days

BOEING 737 MAX 8
The first variant developed in the 737 MAX series replaced the 737-800. MAX 8 has a lower empty weight and a higher maximum take-off weight. It is bigger, more powerful, more efficient and has a redesigned cabin.

THE TRIGGER
The Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 jet, flight 302, departed from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport on March 10, bound for Nairobi, Kenya. Soon after take-off the pilots told the control tower they needed to return and land. Six minutes after leaving, the aircraft crashed 64km from the airport at 8.44am killing 149 passengers and 8 crew members on board totalling 30 nationalities.

Five months earlier, on October 29, 2018, Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea 13 minutes after taking off from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. All 189 people on board died. The accident is still being investigated.

WHERE ARE THEY STORED?
Because of the global grounding of 737 MAX fleets, airlines have been moving them into storage. Here some of the airports where aircraft are being kept.

THE SUSPECT
An automated system is suspected of causing the Lion Air and Ethiopian Air crashes. The Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, is a set of sensors and software that helps pilots when the wings are losing lift because the aircraft is climbing steeply.

If the plane does not have enough lift, an ‘aerodynamic blockage’ can occur, causing it to stall. The MCAS is supposed to correct this, allowing the aircraft to recover speed and climb.

SOFTWARE UPDATE
Boeing announced last week that it would soon release a patch that fixes their MCAS autopilot system.

OTHER AIRCRAFT GROUNDINGS IN HISTORY
Banning planes from flying is rare and the 737 Max is only the eight aircraft grounded in aviation history.