The Navigator

Lessons from the 737 Max-8 Debacle

It's always a tragedy when people die as a result of a machine malfunctioning. It's even more tragic if we fail to learn from that failure to make future machines safer.

In recent months, two practically new Boeing 737 Max-8 jetliners have crashed claiming more than 300 lives. While we don't yet have the final results of the investigations, early indications point to new automation systems, the way they were validated, and the way operators were trained. As we rush headlong into the era of automated driving, this seems like a remarkably teachable moment.