Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2024/02/20/united-flight-to-boston-diverts-when-passengers-notice-wing-coming-apart-video.html
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Is it Boeing? It’s Boeing.
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Thank god for deregulation. I mean, imagine where we might be today if the airline industry hadn’t been deregulated!!!
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That dude seems remarkably calm considering they barely escaped that kaiju in San Francisco.
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In all fairness:
- They haven’t built any 757s in almost 20 years. This is more likely something that’s supposed to be in United’s hands (&/or whichever predecessor airline(s) previously flew this plane)
- The photo is of an Airbus
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United?
Well - I am shocked.
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If I saw that out my window, I would absolutely lose my shit. Quite literally. Is the wing coming apart? It sure as hell looks like it to me!
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It’s a slat on the front edge of the wing. It’s not the wing. It’s not good, but it’s not catastrophic, which is why the plane was able to land.
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Can’t help wondering WTF the airline companies do with all that fucking $$$ they make off their passengers. They obviously aren’t plowing any of it into maintenance, so it must be going into rich honchos’ and bought politicos’ pockets.
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That part of the wing is the leading-edge slat, which extends forward to generate more lift at slower speeds. You wouldn’t want to lose it, but the main structural part of the wing probably wouldn’t snap in half if a section of the slat was damaged.
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A combination of Boeing and United, the company that breaks guitars and violently removes elderly passengers. I know I feel safe flying in America!
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In spite of how it looks, this is actually not that serious of a problem. The damaged part of the leading wing edge in the photo is called a slat and it is extended during take off and landings in order to increase the surface area of the wing during lower speeds. They are then retracted during cruise.
The pilots followed the correct procedure and made a non-emergency diversion. The wing is most definitely not “coming apart”. At worst, it may result in minor flight control issues and altering some of the handling characteristics of the aircraft. Nothing that trained pilots aren’t able to handle.
This is also a known weak point with 757’s and there have been previous incidents before of almost this exact kind of delamination. It’s rare but not unprecedented. Last such incident involving a 757 I can remember was back in 2007 or so.
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not really. in the video, the edges of the damaged part flatters a little in the wind, doesnt look like it would alter the flight capabilities of the plane into dangerous. the wing is obviously not “destroyed” as the boston25 headline blares.
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@danimagoo, @Otherbrother, @KowboyBob, I appreciate the learning, and understand the facts of the matter. Does not change my statement one iota. I am a country doc, not an airplane engineer or nothin’. That would scare me to death.
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I never said it shouldn’t scare you to death. I was just answering the specific question of “Is the wing coming apart?” I totally understand why most people would be horrified and petrified on seeing that.
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It’s flight surface that is effed up. With a hundred plus passengers on board. Yeah, that’s NOT cool.
Looks like United has a termite problem. Or sky beavers.
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