One of the reasons I always use Kayak.
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Let’s keep in mind:
Spirit was formed when Boeing Commercial Airplanes sold its Wichita division to investment firm Onex Corporation in 2005.
In a shocking turn of events, selling off a critical division to private equity has led to quality problems.
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That won’t stop Boeing’s lawyers going after Spirit who build the fuselages
And the airlines’ lawyers going after Boeing.
And Boeing crying to the US government.
Like the way Boeing is trying to get FAA waivers in the MAX-7 and MAX-9 certification process because existing engine de-icing procedures risk overheating the composite engine cowls, potentially causing them to disintegrate and cause debris impacts on the fuselage in flight.
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The 787 Dreamliner was the case study of how not to build a plane with multiple contractors in the US, Japan and Italy all not quite managing to work in harmony.
It’s still a terrific plane - despite Boeing management.
Meanwhile, Airbus has got really good at assembling planes from all over Europe.
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for mission critical items, that’s why there are checklists and multiple reviews by multiple people.
if alaska air doesn’t have checklists and double checks for “make sure the doors don’t fall off” … that’s something a ceo should be held responsible for.
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This wasn’t a door, it was a “door plug” that was hidden behind the plane’s interior panels. Inspection requirements, especially ones that require partial disassembly of the plane in order to perform, are defined by the plane’s manufacturer, not the airline. I haven’t read anything yet suggesting that the airline was supposed to be regularly inspecting these bolts but failed to do so.
The airline definitely screwed up though. There were multiple low-cabin-pressure warnings leading up to this failure and each time the maintenance crew just reset the system rather than track down the root cause. It was a big enough concern that they restricted this plane from flying over water, so they definitely can’t plead ignorance for that.
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Can he not quite hear himself? The job is to be right, not confident. If he’s ‘100% confident’ then he should 100% be out of a job.
Per Wikipedia, and the bio on the Boeing web site, he’s an accountant by training, with experience as a Blackstone Group portfolio manager, and with Neilsen Holdings, the ratings company. Not a great counter-narrative to the story about how and why Boeing is not what it used to be.
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yes, i know. it was hyperbole.
The airline definitely screwed up though.
agreed. my point was that i don’t - at this time - see any reason to give the alaska nor their ceo the benefit of the doubt. his anger is indistinguishable from posturing
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I’m guessing every airline in the world just had to add a budget item: “Verify all new airplanes purchased from Boeing have all nuts and bolts tightened, rivets and spot welds inspected, seat cushions are in fact emergency flotation devices, and the blue water in the lavatory goes down, not up.” Basically a full inspection such as would be done during a major refurbishment or at a significant milestone to make sure everything’s still OK.
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Don’t forget it wasn’t a door but a plug that was installed at the factory and shouldn’t need attention until the airliner was in for a major service. That a plane (that probably still had new plane smell) suffered a major failure is Boeing’s fault
Where other questions need to be asked is why the problem wasn’t noticed during the pressurisation checks at final sign off which is definitely a Boeing responsibility they can’t blame on subcontractors . And then for Alaskan; how were they going about identifying the cause of three transient pressurisation alerts on previous flights sufficiently serious that the airline had forbidden this plane from flying extended routes over water.
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How does not flying a plane over water make the plane safer to fly?
In 2014, Qatar Airlines refused outright to accept any Dreamliners from the South Carolina plant because so many were coming with damage to the exteriors caused by incompetent assembly.
In 2019 there were yet more problems with 787s from the same plant with defective components and sharp metal shavings being found in wire bundles.
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ObUSAF: Report: Something loose in cockpit. Service Report: Something tightened in cockpit.
UPS: Ok, it me.
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Most of their routes offer a relatively quick detour to an airport that can take a 737; but Alaskan serve Hawaii which is a long way to go if your plane decides to offer an al fresco atmosphere.
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It makes successful location and recovery of the black box much more likely.
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All those boring EU standards were for a reason then? Huh. Whoda thunk it?
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Bean counters, button sorters, and plumbers who steal sexy big old bathroom sinks and replace them with cheap little motelworthy ones are satan’s most diabolical creatures.
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I’m waiting for a passenger to just toss a few bolts on the floor of one of those airplanes.
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Hail Discordia! Hail Eris! Fuck capitalism! You have nothing to lose but your pillows!
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That’s your problem, right there!
(Plus what @anon47182935 said about private equity being involved.)
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