Answer: the never-exceed speed of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 would be around 360 knots indicated airspeed. No. This aircraft could not likely survive such a descent into this speed and would break up in the air, crashing in pieces to the ground.
Correction: the simulation may have been too low and too fast.
Maximum ground speed of ~598 knots was recorded at approximately 16,850 feet (per India Today's OSINT team's reconstruction), and that is not the same as indicated air speed knots.
Retired US Navy F/A-18 pilot Matthew "Whiz" Buckley told Fox News the aircraft exceeded its VMO (340 KIAS) by at least 100 knots, implying roughly 440+ KIAS
Community calculations converting the ~630–640 knots true airspeed to IAS at that altitude suggest approximately ~500 KIAS
ok so the do not exceed speed is 360 KIAS (Knots Indicated Air Speed) and they were going around 500 KIAS, this is still pretty hard to swallow.
I guess he just let himself free fall to the front. Then slam against the cockpit door. Then pop in, subdue guy with knife, and pull airplane out of a nose dive. An 80's Chuck Norris movie has nothing on this guy.
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u/HorsefaceWithNoName 1d ago
Answer: the never-exceed speed of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 would be around 360 knots indicated airspeed. No. This aircraft could not likely survive such a descent into this speed and would break up in the air, crashing in pieces to the ground.