Citation
The Boeing 737 MAX Aircraft: Costs, Consequences, and Lessons from its Design, Development, and Certification
TL;DR
Boeing's competitive pressure to beat A320neo led to design shortcuts
This Congressional investigation documented how competitive pressure between Boeing and Airbus contributed to the 737 MAX disasters that killed 346 people. The report concluded that Boeing's 'culture of concealment' and rush to market stemmed directly from the arms race with Airbus's A320neo.
This is a crucial cautionary tale: arms races don't just burn capital - they can compromise safety and cost lives when competitive pressure overrides engineering judgment.
Key Findings from Infrastructure (2020)
- Boeing's competitive pressure to beat A320neo led to design shortcuts
- MCAS relied on single sensor without redundancy
- Boeing minimized pilot training requirements for competitive advantage
- Culture of concealment and management misjudgments stemmed from competitive pressure
- Two crashes (Lion Air 610, Ethiopian Airlines 302) killed 346 people