737 pilots trained for Max 8 with short online course

Pilots transitioning to the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft from older 737 models were given a short, self-administered online course that made no mention of a new system now at the center of two crash investigations, pilots’ unions spokesmen for two American carriers told CNN.

Pilots of Southwest Airlines and American Airlines took courses — lasting between 56 minutes and three hours — that highlighted differences between the Max 8 and older 737s, but did not explain the new maneuvering characteristics augmentation system, know as MCAS, the spokesmen said.

The system, designed to automatically command a plane to pitch down if it senses an imminent stall, has become the focus of October’s Lion Air crash of a 737 Max 8, and experts say it could become a major factor in the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people earlier this month.

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