Flight 204 vs Flight 317 - total night and day difference on the 737 MAX

I flew jumpseat on two different MAX flights last month out of Denver. Flight 204 had an older crew who kept the original MCAS software config, and it felt sluggish on every climb. Flight 317 with the updated software was smooth as butter even during a go-around. Has anyone else noticed the handling change between the pre-patch and post-patch systems?

2 comments

2 Comments

miller.paul7d ago

Read an article from a former Boeing engineer that explained the original MCAS had way too much authority on the stabilizer trim. Said the old software basically treated every climb like a potential stall scenario. That sluggish feeling you got on 204 was probably the system fighting the pilot's normal control inputs. The post-patch version just lets the crew fly the plane like a normal 737. Glad they finally fixed it because that original setup sounded sketchy as hell.

faithrodriguez7d ago

Yeah "the system fighting the pilot" part hits hard. My buddy actually flies for a regional and he told me about a trip he had on a pre-patch MAX where the plane just felt "heavy" on climbout. He said it was like the yoke had a mind of its own trying to trim down when he was pulling back. Scared the hell out of him until they figured out it was MCAS doing its thing. @miller.paul your explanation makes total sense now why that happened to him. Glad they toned it down because that old setup sounded like a nightmare waiting to happen.