An in-depth analysis of how a single line of flawed software logic — and a culture that silenced its critics — cost hundreds of lives and reshaped commercial aviation forever.
The MCAS software relied on data from a single Angle of Attack sensor — a textbook single point of failure. When the sensor malfunctioned, the system repeatedly forced the aircraft's nose down, overriding pilot commands until catastrophic loss of control.
Boeing was forced to rewrite MCAS to require dual-sensor agreement, mandate full simulator training, and faced criminal charges for defrauding the FAA — culminating in the longest grounding of any commercial aircraft in aviation history.