Is a Boeing 737 MAX the safest plane in service?

That WSJ article is excellent. Their reporting on the whole Boeing mess has been top notch.

 

WOEING: “Thanks to a string of unforced errors and botched responses, Boeing, like other corporate giants from the 20th century, has devolved from the epitome of world-beating quality to a symbol of managerial fecklessness, focused on short-term profits at the expense of the company’s long-term sustainability. Boeing cut corners in production, pushed out experienced workers to save money, and poured money into boosting the stock price instead of investing in its products.”

 

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/03/boeing-737-safety-air-travel/677814/?utm_source=apple_news

Flying Is Weird Right Now
Is flying less safe? Or are we just paying closer attention?

 

We are bombarded 24/7 with information. If that is not bad enough the people doing the bombarding have no problem coloring that information to either push an agenda or to benefit their ratings. The older I get the more I ignore the information. The more I ignore the information the happier I am. Works for me.
Flying back from SLC the other day I was one of the first on a Max8. I walked down the isle and a Stew was standing in an exit row. I stopped and pointed to the door on the other side and said (like I have before) "Is that thing going to stay on?" She said with a smile "You bet" As I sat I said "I'll be sure to keep my belt on".
2 minutes later she shook my shoulder, pointed to a woman across the isle and said she had just said exactly the same thing. I told the little group some of us need to maintain a sense of humor about it all. Being in a plane crash is so low on my list of concerns I can't see it from here.

Like I have said before, I ride motorcycles, play with guns and run with scissors. I am lucky to be alive.

 

It's those damn scissors you gotta watch out for!

 

I flew on Friday. My brother was picking me up and texted me before the flight, joking that he hoped I didn't have any door issues. I got on the flight, and the pilot came on and said they were ready to go, but one of the four doors wasn't working so they needed a tech crew to come on. It only took about 20 minutes to resolve, but still not ideal. I'm surprised the pilot was so specific about the issue given the recent events, instead of saying something generic like a "technical problem". I didn't notice what Boeing model it was.

My sister-in-law was on another flight at the same time -- they boarded on the plane, but then had a computer issue they weren't able to fix, so they were delayed many hours until they were able to find a replacement plane. I don't know if they are being more cautious now, or just that there are more issues with the planes.

 

Planes are vastly more complex. Good pilots are always cautious. Be glad they called for a delay. Most of the crashes we hear about world wide have at least an element of bad decision making on the part of the pilot. I may be somewhat naive but I do believe in the US especially and Western developed countries in general we are drawing on a much better pool of people to be pilots.

 

Better pool of pilots for the first world. Getting to other areas one is more likely to get a combination of questionable pilots combined with less than ideal maintenance caused by financial pressures. Some just don't care and will squeeze on everything they can as business decisions. Others are too squeezed financially to do it right. And, let us not forget the countries with controlled currencies where it is a problem converting their currency into dollars/Euros/Pounds Sterling so they can pay for parts and/or third party facility work.

The airline with the Max 8 that went down in Asia had a known issue with their pilot training practices that should have never been allowed.

 

I'm definitely glad they are careful and hold up flights or change planes where there are potential issues.

I don't have any feel for pilot quality (or maintenance quality) across airlines, but in terms of onboard service quality, Asian airlines lead, followed by Europe, followed by the US in my experience.

 

You read it here first: The Absolute Safest B-737 on Earth!

https://www.designboom.com/architecture/geometrium-studio-luxury-private-jet-villa-bali-cliff-04-11-2024/?utm_source=designboom+daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=geometrium+studio+introduces+luxury+villa+within+private+jet+standing+atop+bali's+cliff

(on earth....got it?)
...but do watch out for that first step away from the bar.....

 

Just caught this: Exclusive: The Boeing whistleblower testified for 12 hours before his suicide. Here’s what he saw at the planemaker that alarmed him (yahoo.com)

 

Asiana 214 probably had stellar onboard service right up until its crew crashed a perfectly good airplane.
Give me a Western flight crew anyday.

They can put a Coke machine in the back for all I care. I am the airplane in hopes of getting where I am going.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/2nd-boeing-whistleblower-found-dead-heres-a-timeline-of-the-companys-mounting-problems-175734542.html

You know, I think I withdraw any criticism I've made of Boeing. An ounce of prevention and all that .

Pretty crazy!

 

Even the MBAs hate the MBAs.

https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/why-boeings-problems-with-737-max-began-more-than-25-years-ago

 

It's a 767 cargo, so not directly related...the video is interesting nevertheless. But Boeing didn't needed that to top the rest.
As the former french president Jacques Chirac used to say "troubles always fly in squadrons". Well, his expression was much more colored than that, he didn't say "troubles"...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/may/08/boeing-cargo-plane-forced-to-land-at-istanbul-without-front-landing-gear

Rgds

 

How is it that a second Boeing whistleblower who died suddenly at the age of 45 is not getting more press??????

Maybe it's a coincidence, but it seems like a pretty crazy coincidence.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/boeing-whistleblower-dies-brief-illness-weeks-suicide-another-rcna150381

 

Even a moronic news writer knows a mechanical failure in a 40 year old airplane isn't the fault of the builder. Yet at the same time he knows if he can work Boeing into the title he'll get readers.

 

Saw this chart the other day comparing the safety of Boeing vs Airbus:
Image Unavailable, Please Login

The vast majority of the incidents are turbulence, followed by pilot error.

 

Another 737 Max incident. Aircraft did a Dutch roll which then caused structural damage.

https://apnews.com/article/southwest-plane-boeing-dutch-roll-828216b5dc18bfb29264b59debf071f0

 

Boeing's problem?

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

"Lean and Mean" was at one time a business buzz word until it was pointed out that what it really meant was "Understaffed".

 

yeah, and who did they cut? The older guys with the most experience and knowledge (brain drain) and who have the highest salaries. (which makes them the biggest targets for bean counters).
.

 

Its the modern American business model.

 

After 40 plus years of experience and, please let me admit, at the top of my game, I was let go for not using my computer enough in doing more design work. The efficiency expert did not listen to my co-workers raising hell that I spent a lot of my time helping the new engineers and "drafters" to get their feet on the ground. I heard that a lot of my stuff has been taken out of the group records and put in the Boeing Archives. I never thought that those cartoons were that good.

 

I'm not sure Boeing ever really fixed the rudder issues that resulted in a couple crashes. More a bandaid, as the real fix would have required retrofitting all new rudders on every 737.