Hardware Podcasts

Flying Blind with Peter Robison

Oxide and Friends · 11 Jan 2022 · 1h 29m · Episode 2

What this episode covers

Peter Robison, author of 'Flying Blind', joins Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal to discuss the cultural and engineering failures at Boeing that led to the 737 MAX crashes. Robison contrasts the team-oriented 'working together' culture of the 777 program with the finance-driven, cost-cutting mentality that emerged after the McDonnell Douglas merger, specifically citing the influence of Jack Welch’s management style. The conversation details how the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was designed with a single Angle of Attack (AOA) sensor, lacked pilot awareness, and was kept out of training manuals to avoid simulator costs for airlines like Southwest. Robison highlights the suppression of dissenting engineers, such as Curtis Eubank, and the lack of technical scrutiny from both Boeing leadership and the FAA, resulting in catastrophic software decisions that prioritized stock price over safety.

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Airbus, Southwest Airlines, Lion Air, Ethiopian Airlines
Products
737 MAX, 777, MCAS, Angle of Attack indicator
Also
FAA, Flying Blind

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