This MCAS problem reminds me of the “unintended acceleration” of the Audi 5000 from the 1980s. From most of the press reports, it sounded like the car would go full speed on its own, with the brakes failing to work at all, the drivers rendered as helpless passengers as the cars went completely out of control.
The reality was much more nuanced. First off, most of the affected drivers were of shorter-than-average stature. Many were new to the Audi, having come from bigger American cars. Right away that showed the driver was part of the problem, as how could the car know who was driving and react accordingly? In ALL cases the brakes worked just fine, and there was nothing wrong with the fuel system. Yet every driver insisted they were pressing hard on the brake pedal to no avail. If modern car computers were present with their data history, it would’ve showed the driver pressing hard on the gas pedal, and never pressing the brake pedal.
The problem? These drivers were mistakenly pressing the gas pedal, thinking it was the brake. The pedals were in not quite the same position as cars they’ve driven before, hence the confusion. It was compounded by an idle speed that, under some conditions, was higher than usual. When the driver shifted from Park to Drive, the forward lurch would startle the driver, and they would stab the ‘brake’ pedal but hit the gas instead. As the car lunged forward, adrenaline and panic would flow in equal measure.
Note that this only happened to automatic transmission vehicles, not manuals. And that provided a clue to the solution. In a manual, both feet are positioned on the pedals to shift from a standing start - there was no “pedal misapplicationl (NTSB terminology). So, In addition to adjusting the pedal positioning and idle-speed programming, Audi invented the process of stepping on the brake pedal before one can shift out of Park. This feature is now standard on all automatic-transmission-equipped vehicles.
So, was the Audi at fault? Or was it bad drivers? Lots of owners thought the cars were just fine; they hated the drop in resale value. Or was it a combination of the two?
PS - Audi renamed the 5000 to the A5. Perhaps Boeing will have to do the same.