The FAA issued a proposed Airworthiness Directive for the beleaguered 737 MAX program today, not the type of Valentine’s day message Boeing or their customers like to receive. The problem identified was prompted by a Boeing review of the standby power system control unit (SPCU) design that identified a single point of failure.
If not addressed, that unsafe condition could result in the loss of thrust on both engines due to damage from operation in icing conditions without engine anti-ice and “can result in the loss of continued safe flight or landing,” or in plain English, the aircraft could crash.
