Page 26 - RMAI Bulletin July 2024

RMAI BULLETIN JULY 2024

2. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which was aircraft manufacturing industry, as well as changes
caused by a failure to properly manage risk in off- to the design and training protocols for the 737
shore drilling operations. MAX.
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill: This disas-
ter was caused by a failure to properly manage risk The crisis resulted in two fatal crashes that claimed the
in offshore drilling operations. There were inad- lives of 346 people. The causes of the crisis can be
equate safety measures in place, a lack of proper attributed to several factors, including:
training for personnel, and a failure to respond 1. Over-reliance on automation: Boeing designed
quickly and effectively to the disaster once it oc- the 737 MAX with a new automated system
curred. The spill led to significant environmental known as MCAS. The system was meant to help
damage and financial losses for BP and its stake- pilots control the aircraft's pitch and prevent it
holders. The remedy for this failure has been in- from stalling. However, the system was flawed and
creased safety regulations and oversight in the oil could activate erroneously, causing the aircraft to
and gas industry, as well as improvements in safety pitch down suddenly. The pilots were not ad-
measures and emergency response plans. equately trained to handle such scenarios, lead-
ing to the two fatal crashes.
3. The 2014 Target data breach, which was caused 2. Lack of transparency: Boeing did not provide ad-
by a failure to properly manage cybersecurity equate information about the MCAS system to the
risks. pilots or the regulators. The company also did not
The 2014 Target data breach: This was caused by disclose the system's existence in the aircraft's
a failure to properly manage cybersecurity risks. manual, leading to confusion among the pilots.
Hackers were able to gain access to Target's pay-
ment system and steal credit and debit card infor- 3. Pressure to compete: Boeing was under pressure
mation from millions of customers. The breach to compete with its rival, Airbus. As a result, the
was caused by a vulnerability in Target's payment company rushed the development of the 737 MAX
system, which the company failed to identify and and cut corners in the certification process to re-
address in a timely manner. The remedy for this duce costs and speed up the launch.
failure has been increased emphasis on
cybersecurity measures and practices, including Bhopal Gas Tragedy
more rigorous testing and vulnerability assess- There have been several instances of risk management
ments, as well as increased investment in failures in India, but one of the most significant ones
cybersecurity technologies and personnel. is the Bhopal Gas Tragedy that occurred in December
1984. The tragedy resulted in the death of over 3,000
4. The 2019 Boeing 737 MAX crashes, which were people and caused long-term health problems for
caused by a failure to properly manage risks re- thousands more.
lated to the aircraft's automated systems.
The 2019 Boeing 737 MAX crashes: These were The Bhopal Gas Tragedy was caused by a combination
caused by a failure to properly manage risks re- of factors, including inadequate risk assessment, poor
lated to the aircraft's automated systems. Boeing maintenance of equipment, and lack of emergency
had introduced a new automated system to the response planning. The plant was owned by Union
737 MAX, which was designed to prevent stalls in Carbide India Limited, a subsidiary of the US-based
flight. However, the system had a flaw that caused Union Carbide Corporation, and was located in a
it to malfunction, leading to two fatal crashes. densely populated area of Bhopal. The plant was de-
Boeing had failed to adequately train pilots on signed to produce pesticides, and it stored large quan-
how to respond to the system's failures and had tities of the highly toxic gas, methyl isocyanate (MIC).
not disclosed information about the system to The gas was released when water entered one of the
regulators or airlines. The remedy for this failure storage tanks, causing a chemical reaction that led to
has been increased scrutiny and regulation of the a catastrophic failure of the tank.

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