Can You Get a Refund on Your American Airlines Boeing 737 Flight?

In 2019, American Airlines began to cancel flights scheduled on Boeing 737 Max 8 airplanes due to a potential design flaw that may make these planes more likely to crash.

American Airlines Boeing 737 Overview

The American Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 airplane is a class of plane that can seat 210 passengers and fly a maximum of 3,550 miles. The plane began carrying passengers in 2017. However, in early 2019 all Boeing 737 planes were grounded after two of the planes crashed.

One of the crashes occurred in Indonesia on October 29, 2018. All 189 passengers and crew were killed when the plane went down into the Java Sea. The other crash occurred in Ethiopia in March 2019, killing all 157 people aboard when it crashed six minutes after take off.

Due to these devastating accidents, a worldwide grounding of Boeing 737 Max planes was called while investigators looked into the possible causes of the crashes. The investigations indicated that there was a flaw in the design of the airplane that may have led to the accidents. Additionally, foreign object debris was found in the fuel tanks of many of the 737 airplanes that had been grounded.

What is the Boeing 737 Max Design Flaw?

As of February 2020, at least 3 flaws have been found with the Boeing 737 design. The initial flaw was discovered in June 2019. This Boeing 737 Max design flaw has to do with a piece of software known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).

MCAS was designed to recognize when the front of the plane, or the nose, was pointed too high. This may occur due to the 737 Max’s large engines, which must be mounted higher and closer to the front of the plane than the engines on previous 737s. When the plane’s nose pitched upwards too much, MCAS was supposed to detect the problem and automatically rectify it by tilting the front of the plane downward.

However, although this new piece of software was installed on Boeing 737 Max airplanes, Boeing allegedly did not disclose the software to airlines or pilots. If they had disclosed the software, pilots would have been required to undergo new training on the updated feature.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing was not honest about the new features, leaving regulators in the dark about how different the new 737 models were from previous versions. While most airplanes have two sensors that determine whether the angle of the plane is tilting dangerously, MCAS only contained one sensor.

This meant that there was only one sensor responsible for determining whether the plane’s angle needed to be corrected. In the event that this single sensor was faulty, it may activate MCAS and readjust the plane’s angle, even if the angle was already correct. Essentially, this means that if the sensor malfunctioned, it could direct the plane to nosedive. It is believed that this is what happened during the Ethiopian and Indonesian plane crashes.

The design flaw of having only a single sensor to measure the plane’s angle is dangerous because of how easily these sensors may be damaged. They may be bumped by ramp stairs, stepped on by mechanics working on the plane. Additionally, these sensors are frequently hit by birds during flight. There have been thousands of reports of birds damaging plane sensors over the past 30 years.

In addition to the Boeing 737 Max design flaw that may cause the plane to nosedive, two other design flaws have been uncovered. In January 2020, it was discovered that two sections of wiring inside the plane that control the tail are too close together. The close proximity of the wiring may result in a short circuit, which could cause a crash.

Following the discovery of the potential wiring defect, another software issue was discovered in February 2020. This defect may cause a warning light notifying pilots of a malfunction with the system that changes the angle of the nose to stay on, even when the angle of the nose is correct.

Was American Airlines Aware of the Boeing 737 Problems?

It is unknown whether American Airlines was aware of issues with the Boeing 737. However, the airline flew the Boeing 737 Max 8 on several of the company’s flight routes. Additionally, claims have been made that the airline company Southwest was aware of these issues.

According to at least one lawsuit filed against Southwest and Boeing, Southwest was involved with the design and testing of the aircraft, and was aware of the potential dangers of the aircraft. Both companies are accused of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act by failing to report potential dangers. Independent investigators are looking into whether American Airlines also committed RICO violations.

Have Any American Airlines Boeing 737 Max Flights Been Cancelled?

Due to the worldwide grounding of the aircraft model, all American Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 flights have been cancelled. The Boeing 737 was initially grounded in March 2019, and has remained grounded through August 2020. However, prior the grounding, American Airlines flew the Boeing 737 Max 8 from 2017 through 2019.

Can You Get a Refund on Your American Airlines Boeing 737 Flight?

Although consumers may be wary of taking a flight on a jet that has been grounded due to safety issues and design defects, they may also be frustrated to find that their flight has been cancelled. If you have had your American Airlines Boeing flight cancelled, you may be entitled to reimbursement or rescheduling. If you have attempted to collect a refund for your cancelled flight and been denied, you may be eligible to speak with an attorney about your legal options.

Should You Join a Boeing 737 Max 8 Class Action Lawsuit?

If you have been unsuccessful in pursuing compensation for a cancelled Boeing 737 flight, you may be able to pursue legal action. Additionally, if you did fly on an American Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 flight prior to the discovery of the plane defect, you may be able to join a class action lawsuit. People who flew on these flights between Oct. 1, 2017 and March 13, 2019 may be able to connect with an attorney and discuss their case.

Join a Free Boeing 737 Max 8 Lawsuit Investigation

If you took a domestic flight on Southwest Airlines or American Airlines between Oct. 1, 2017 and March 13, 2019 and your flight was on a Boeing MAX 8 aircraft, you may be eligible to join the Boeing MAX 8 class action lawsuit investigation.

Only personal travel, not business travel, is relevant to this investigation.

Get a Free Case Evaluation

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.