Not to mention that there are more 737's in service than any other jet by a long way. While the A320/321 may catch up, right now 737's outnumber them almost 2:1.
Houston-bound Southwest Flight 3695 landed safely in Denver about 8:15 a.m. local time after the crew reported the issue, according to the FAA, which is investigating. The plane — which, according to air traffic control audio, carried 135 passengers, two lap-held infants and six crew members — was towed to a gate. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/04/07/southwest-boeing-flight-engine-cover/
Uh, oh. Boeing has another whistleblower. This one claims that the 777 and 787 aircraft are flawed. Boeing took shortcuts with the planes' manufacture that is expected to shorten their life expectancies and increase the risk of catastrophic failure. The company allegedly retaliated against the whistleblower. The man witnessed factory workers jumping up and down on various parts of the plane to get holes to align for bolting. He also noticed pressure on engineers to green-light work that they had not inspected. A whistleblower claims that Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner is flawed. The FAA is investigating | CNN Business
More airline news: Southwest is stopping service to four airports, limiting hiring, and asking employees to take time off without pay. They have had some delays receiving planes they ordered from some company called Boeing. Southwest expects to lose 2,000 jobs through attrition by the end of the year. American Airlines also posted a loss for the first quarter. Supposedly, demand for air travel is still strong, but higher labor costs are a problem. Southwest will limit hiring and drop 4 airports after loss. American Airlines posts 1Q loss as well
Some airline safety news: United has apparently been skipping pre-flight safety checks on Boeing 777 aircraft. How many flights? More than 100,000. United claims that the airplane does the checks itself, but the FAA claims that pilots are supposed to follow up with their own checks. United Airlines Allegedly Skipped Pre-Flight Fire System Checks on More Than 100,000 Flights
A weather-related airplane incident: an Austrian airlines Airbus A320 flew into a hail storm on its approach to Vienna, and barely survived it. There have been multiple hail storms in this part of Europe recently. Austrian Airlines plane badly damaged by hailstorm during flight (yahoo.com) A head-on view shows the full extent of the damage. - exithamster/X
F.A.A. Investigating How Counterfeit Titanium Got Into Boeing and Airbus Jets Some recently manufactured Boeing and Airbus jets have components made from titanium that was sold using fake documentation verifying the material’s authenticity, according to a supplier for the plane makers, raising concerns about the structural integrity of those airliners. The falsified documents are being investigated by Spirit AeroSystems, which supplies fuselages for Boeing and wings for Airbus, as well as the Federal Aviation Administration. The investigation comes after a parts supplier found small holes in the material from corrosion. In a statement, the F.A.A. said it was investigating the scope of the problem and trying to determine the short- and long-term safety implications to planes that were made using the parts. It is unclear how many planes have parts made with the questionable material. “Boeing reported a voluntary disclosure to the F.A.A. regarding procurement of material through a distributor who may have falsified or provided incorrect records,” the statement said. “Boeing issued a bulletin outlining ways suppliers should remain alert to the potential of falsified records.”
Southwest Airlines experienced something called a "Dutch Roll", a serious in-flight incident initiated by bad weather that used to tear airplanes apart. The plane was damaged in the incident, but was able to land safely. Some of the passengers claim that they also experienced a "Dutch Oven" during the incident, causing some to call it a "Double Dutch Treat". The Dutch have chosen not to respond to these allegations and requested that Americans find new terms for such incidents. Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max sustains 'substantial' damage from 'Dutch roll' incident (yahoo.com)
Southwest manages to have two incidents hit the news on the same day. In this incident, a pilot attempting to land at an airport in Hawaii (and aborting the landing due to bad weather) accidentally pushed the control yoke forward at 1,000 feet elevation and almost plunged the aircraft into the ocean, only recovering the plane at 400 feet altitude. When in doubt, turn the control of the plane over to the inexperienced first officer and see if something interesting happens. Nice work, Southwest! A Southwest pilot nearly crashed his flight into the ocean: report (yahoo.com)
Boeing discovers more problems with fasteners . . . this time on the 787. Boeing finds new flaws in 787 jets: sources (yahoo.com)
So when is enough enough? Get your shit together or go the eff out of business. Or do people need to die first?
Southwest Airlines says hold my beer: we can have problems too! 1) Taking off on a closed runway with a vehicle on it. 2) Cruising at 500' above the ground nine miles away from the airport, triggering a low altitude warning. 3) The previously mentioned incident with a pilot taking the plane into a dive and pulling up 400' before hitting the Pacific Ocean. A Southwest flight appeared to take off from a closed runway that had a vehicle on it without being cleared by air traffic control
Department of Justice may be getting serious with Boeing, with possible criminal charges against the giant. This may drive Boeing to bankruptcy, as a criminal conviction could end Boeing's ability to do business with the U.S. government, which is Boeing's biggest customer. This would also be bad for the U.S. economy, as Boeing is apparently the nation's largest exporter. It probably raises the question: is Boeing too big to fail? The new peril facing Boeing if it pleads guilty to US criminal charge
NASA really wants to keep multiple launch partners so I don’t see them allowing Boeing to lose the right to provide services. Plus there are a number of Senators deep in Boeing’s pocket and reluctant to allow their constituents lose employment. I could see a negotiated plea where top level leadership is forced to leave the company but an actual conviction won’t happen, IMO.
Delta has a problem with a tire on a Boeing plane. The tire blew out in a maintenance hangar in Atlanta and killed two workers. A third worker was injured. You don't hear about this kind of incident very often. Tires seem to be one of the safer components of the aircraft. I didn't know that airplane tires could be this dangerous. Delta Workers Killed After a Boeing Plane’s Tire Unexpectedly Explodes
