A most excellent and detailed analysis of what happened on this flight. Kudu's to Mentour Pilot!!!
I retired off of the B737-800MAX and the other 2 models I flew, 700NG, 800NG. The 800MAX is not configured with either this door plug or the additional emergency exits like the 900MAX is. The forerunner to the 900MAX is the B737-900NG. I only saw these aircraft when taxing out and one would pass by as we held short etc………the length of these things kinda looks abnormal as related to the other 800 models, just a perception but it's still a beautiful aircraft. Same stretched fuselage. I've never been inside of one but I assume that this exact door on the 900NG's is an operable emergency exit for the desired configuation. Never heard of "door plugs" in the 900NG but I guess there could be depending on what the customer wants.
Boeing has developed a bad habit about not informing it's customers of things they damn well should inform them on. The MCAS on the 800MAX was another of these oversights. This was the system that brought down the 800 MAX's overseas a while back. Much due to "pilot error". "Manuvering Characteristic Augmentaion System". To configure the 800MAX with the bigger "LEAP" engines Boeing had to raise the nose gear by 8 inches for ground clearence of the lower nacelles of the LEAP. They thought that the MCAS was needed because of this. The MCAS is just another name for a anti-stall system and is only suppose to deploy in certain low speed configurations. Nose high attitude, low airspeed, flaps deployed and maybe the gear down. I forget. Basically a stall condition. Trick is not to put yourself in that postiion to begin with!!! kek
I enjoyed flying the 800MAX. It flew beautifully and "greasing" the things onto the runway when landing was much easier and more consistent than the 700 models.
Great job Mentour Pilot.
o7