Fine, I didn't watch it. Now I have. I'll agree the MCAS was not specifically implemented to fix a flawed aircraft design. It was an attempt to adjust the handling characteristics to more closely match previous versions of the aircraft (in order to avoid a training requirement). This doesn't change the fact the aircraft design was molded by a desire for minimal training requirements and not from an engineering point of view. Would a design without those pressures have created an aircraft with similar maneuvering characteristics to the previous aircraft? Or at least one which would not have required MCAS? Possibly? Probably? I have no idea.
Also, I'm not sure he gave MCAS a complete evaluation of being "perfectly fine". Clearly the implementation was not fine. The Ethiopian pilots were knowledgeable enough to turn off the MCAS, but this meant the only way to adjust the trim was manually. Which by the time it was needed couldn't be done due to the forces on the trim. What they needed was to be able to disable MCAS logic without disabling to adjust the trim with power.
This comment was edited on Mar 14, 2024, 13:37.
“Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception.” -- Carl Sagan