lbrande

What airplane fell out of the sky?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Boeing is hoping to show a profit one of these years. When a company is constantly operating in the red, you have to wonder about the quality of what it is producing. It must be trying to save pennies here and there.

agillot

Same as cars manufacturers , just put them together .

StanMac Loc: Tennessee

Predatory capitalism at its worst. Along with private equity.

Stan

pendennis

The auto industry, for years, kept basic manufacturing in house. In those days, though, auto technology was relatively uncomplicated. Engine divisions built engines that were normally aspirated, without a lot of pollution control; sheet metal divisions stamped steel in relatively straightforward patterns; electronics divisions had fairly simple (compared to today) production.

As these operations grew in complexity, and driven by government regulations and foreign markets, car makers didn't have the internal expertise to build vehicles with far more complex engine/powertrain combinations, hugely complex emissions systems, electronic systems which became more complex, and driving more functions.

They entered very detailed partnerships with companies which had already developed technology usable in cars and trucks.

Labor costs were also an issue. Did auto makers want to pay UAW-scale wages, or did they want to outsource to tier-one or tier-two suppliers? At the same time, the Japanese weren't sleeping, neither the South Koreans, nor Taiwanese; and don't forget that Europe had long-time manufacturers such as Mercedes, VW, Volvo, etc., who were keeping up to stay in business.

No great secret here, just evolution.

JBuckley

The Boeing aircraft company has been an "icon" for American companies for decades.
Their workmanship have been there for America, thru several wars and helped the local economies to thrive.
We have several friends that live in the Washington area, and many have been employed by Boeing, Inc. for years.

The company has produced planes and flying equipment, that gave American "air superiority" during several wars.

I would hate to see them "throw in the towel". Liken to Kaiser Steel, many of their employees would not recover from the closing of their huge plants.

lbrande

Noted in Flying Magazine Today:

“Whatever final conclusions are reached, Boeing is accountable for what happened,” said Boeing president and CEO Dave Calhoun in response to National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report on the investigation into the blowout of the mid-exit door plug on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 in January.

The 19-page report, released Tuesday by the NTSB, noted the four bolts that are supposed to hold the door plug in place were removed for maintenance at the factory before delivery of the jet but never reinstalled. The aircraft had flown 510 hours without having the door plug properly secured.

READ MORE: NTSB Reports No Bolts in Blown Out 737 Max Door
The Details
On January 5 shortly after takeoff from Portland International Airport (KPDX) in Oregon, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 lost the mid-exit door (MED) plug as the aircraft climbed through 16,000 feet. The loss of the door plug resulted in violent decompression, but no serious injuries to the 177 persons on board. The flight crew declared an emergency and returned to Portland with a refrigerator-sized hole in the side of the aircraft.

“An event like this must not happen on an airplane that leaves our factory,” Calhoun said. “We simply must do better for our customers and their passengers. We are implementing a comprehensive plan to strengthen quality and the confidence of our stakeholders. It will take significant, demonstrated action and transparency at every turn—and that is where we are squarely focused.”


In a statement to the media, Boeing outlined immediate action items it is undertaking to strengthen quality.

“First and foremost, the company has implemented a control plan to ensure all 737-9 mid-exit door plugs are installed according to specifications by instituting new inspections of the door plug assembly and similar structures at our supplier’s factory and on Boeing’s production line, and adding signage and protocol to fully document when the door plug is opened or removed in our factory, ensuring it is reinstalled and inspected prior to delivery,” the statement said.

“Boeing is also taking steps to improve overall quality and stability across the 737 production system. These steps include layering additional inspections into the Boeing supply chain, more communication and collaboration with suppliers on production enhancements, performing more work on the aircraft at their assigned positions, setting aside multiple days for 737 teams to focus on implement quality improvements, adding independent assessment to bolster the quality management system at Boeing Commercial Airplanes by a highly experienced safety expert.

“In addition to these Boeing actions, we are opening our factory to 737 customers to conduct their own additional reviews and will fully and transparently support the FAA’s investigation, audit, and oversight actions.”

Said Calhoun: “This added scrutiny—from ourselves, from our regulator, and from our customers—will make us better. It’s that simple.”

The NTSB is continuing its investigation.