Airline News

**harrybarracuda** · 26-10-2019, 10:21 PM

That's all well and good but I'd suggest that 31 pages of maintenance logs went missing for a reason.

**harrybarracuda** · 26-10-2019, 10:23 PM

Meanwhile a bit more house cleaning:

Boeing replaced the head of its commercial airplane unit Tuesday as the manufacturer scrambles to convince regulators to allow its 737 Max plane back in service after two fatal crashes that killed 346 people.

Kevin McAllister is the senior-most executive to leave in the wake of the catastrophes. The commercial airplane division has been immersed in a crisis for nearly a year following the first of two 737 Max crashes. A second 737 Max went down less than five months later, prompting a worldwide grounding of Boeing’s bestselling aircraft. All 346 people aboard the two flights were killed.

McAllister, who had led the unit since 2016, is being replaced by Stan Deal, a three-decade Boeing employee who most recently led its global services business, Boeing said.

The leadership change comes less than two weeks after Boeing’s board stripped CEO Dennis Muilenburg of his chairman role, saying the move would allow him to better focus on getting the Max planes back to service.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/22/boeings-head-of-commercial-airplanes-to-leave-company-amid-737-max-crisis.html

Obviously never recovered from being left at home on his own as a child.

**OhOh** · 26-10-2019, 10:37 PM

FAA pulls licence of shop that repaired crashed 737 Max's sensor

"The US Federal Aviation Administration has revoked the aircraft repair station licence held by Xtra Aerospace, the Florida shop that repaired the angle-of-attack (AOA) indicator investigators say contributed to the 2018 crash of a Lion Air Boeing 737 Max.

The FAA ordered that the shop's licence be pulled on 25 October, the same day Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee issued a report concluding that Xtra likely calibrated the AOA sensor incorrectly.

"Xtra failed to comply with requirements to repair only aircraft parts on its list of parts acceptable to the FAA that it was capable of repairing," says the FAA. "The company also failed to comply with procedures in its repair station manual for implementing a capability list in accordance with… regulations."

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/ar...ed-737-461804/

**OhOh** · 26-10-2019, 11:17 PM

Boeing responded to the final investigation report of Lion Air Flight 610…

Boeing issued the following statement regarding the release today of the final investigation report of Lion Air Flight 610 by Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT):

“On behalf of everyone at Boeing, I want to convey our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in these accidents. We mourn with Lion Air, and we would like to express our deepest sympathies to the Lion Air family,” said Boeing President & CEO Dennis Muilenburg. “These tragic events have deeply affected us all and we will always remember what happened.”

“We commend Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee for its extensive efforts to determine the facts of this accident, the contributing factors to its cause and recommendations aimed toward our common goal that this never happens again.”

“We are addressing the KNKT’s safety recommendations, and taking actions to enhance the safety of the 737 MAX to prevent the flight control conditions that occurred in this accident from ever happening again. Safety is an enduring value for everyone at Boeing and the safety of the flying public, our customers, and the crews aboard our airplanes is always our top priority. We value our long-standing partnership with Lion Air and we look forward to continuing to work together in the future.”

Boeing experts, working as technical advisors to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, have supported the KNKT over the course of the investigation. The company’s engineers have been working with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other global regulators to make software updates and other changes, taking into account the information from the KNKT’s investigation.

Since this accident, the 737 MAX and its software are undergoing an unprecedented level of global regulatory oversight, testing and analysis. This includes hundreds of simulator sessions and test flights, regulatory analysis of thousands of documents, reviews by regulators and independent experts and extensive certification requirements.

Over the past several months Boeing has been making changes to the 737 MAX. Most significantly, Boeing has redesigned the way Angle of Attack (AoA) sensors work with a feature of the flight control software known as Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). Going forward, MCAS will compare information from both AoA sensors before activating, adding a new layer of protection.

In addition, MCAS will now only turn on if both AoA sensors agree, will only activate once in response to erroneous AOA, and will always be subject to a maximum limit that can be overridden with the control column.

These software changes will prevent the flight control conditions that occurred in this accident from ever happening again.

In addition, Boeing is updating crew manuals and pilot training, designed to ensure every pilot has all of the information they need to fly the 737 MAX safely.

Boeing continues to work with the FAA and other regulatory agencies worldwide on the certification of the software update and training program to safely return the 737 MAX to service. "

https://www.crewroom.net/single-post...t-610%E2%80%A6

**harrybarracuda** · 27-10-2019, 02:13 AM

Originally Posted by OhOh

Boeing responded to the final investigation report of Lion Air Flight 610…

Well it shows how aware they are of the public's perception of them that they didn't try and hide behind the pilot and maintenance issues.

**Jack meoff** · 27-10-2019, 02:21 AM

So the report blames who?

Quick question before Troy gets his log book out

Monkeys

**harrybarracuda** · 27-10-2019, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by Jack meoff

So the report blames who?

Quick question before Troy gets his log book out

Monkeys

Like most reports, it (rightly) blames a variety of coinciding events, but most of the blame is laid on Boeing and the FAA.

**harrybarracuda** · 31-10-2019, 12:21 PM

Thee minutes quicker. Wow.

The UK's second biggest airport, Gatwick, is trialing a new system for boarding passengers on planes - with those sitting next to windows getting on first.

The two month trial aims to test a variety of ways to get passengers into their seats, to find out which is quickest and gives the best experience for passengers.

The first week of the trial, which involves a small number of Easyjet flights, has seen the average time taken to fill up the plane cut from 18 minutes to 15 minutes.

An airport spokesman said: "That might not sound like a big difference, but over the course of a day it all adds up."

As part of the trial, the seat numbers of those who can board are displayed on a digital display rather than called out over a tannoy.

Passengers who have paid extra for priority boarding continue to get on board first, as do families with young children.

Abhi Chacko, head of digital innovation at Gatwick Airport, said: "By communicating to passengers better and boarding passengers by seat number, we also expect to make the whole boarding experience more relaxing and, potentially, prevent large numbers of passenger rushing forward at any stage."

https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2019-10-31/Window-seats-first-Gatwick-Airport-trials-new-boarding-system-LdxUdfYW1G/index.html

**OhOh** · 31-10-2019, 12:31 PM

Are Easyjet guaranteeing enough o/head luggage space? Which many a time is the sole reason for wanting on first?

**David48atTD** · 31-10-2019, 12:50 PM

Boeing 737 cracks: union calls on Qantas to ground entire 737 fleet for investigation

Engineers say 33 planes should be grounded after US aviation regulator asks airlines worldwide to check 737NG fleets for cracking in ‘pickle fork’

Qantas Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the tarmac at Adelaide airport. The airline has ordered urgent checks on its fleet after a crack was discovered on one plane. Photograph: David Gray/Reuters

Australia’s aircraft engineers association has called on Qantas to ground all of its Boeing 737 aircraft after cracks were discovered in one of its planes.
Steve Purvinas, the federal secretary of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA), said the fleet of 33 should be “grounded until such time that Qantas can establish which aircraft are safe and which aircraft aren’t”.

According to Purvinas, the crack was discovered in a part of the plane known as the “pickle fork”, which is part of the landing gear.
“It is a primary structure which takes the load off the wing,” he told the ABC on Thursday. “This could cause loss of control of an aircraft, and Qantas shouldn’t be flying them.”

“The first [crack] found on a Qantas aircraft was about an inch long, it’s very small. But these things do propagate very quickly when they’re under load…It’s when that grows, and that grows very quickly, that you have problems.”

https://www.theguardian.com/australi...d-in-one-plane

**David48atTD** · 31-10-2019, 12:53 PM

The pickle fork, named so because of its resemblance to the kitchen utensil, is a component that helps attach a plane’s fuselage to its wing structure, helping to manage the stress, torque and aerodynamic forces that bend the connection between the wings and the body of the jet.

Though no crashes or incidents have yet been attributed to the cracked pickle forks, the consequences would be dire should the mechanism fail mid-flight

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...al-device.html

**harrybarracuda** · 31-10-2019, 02:39 PM

Yeah, that bit is quite important, isn't it.

Another fuck up from trying to avoid having to design and build a new aircraft - TO SAVE MONEY.

Bigger wings and bigger engines on a shitty old 1960's design.

**Troy** · 01-11-2019, 01:22 AM

^ It appears that Boeing changed the manufacturing process to save costs. Bean counters fail again on a plane that already cuts corners...it doesn't have main undercarriage doors to cut costs...

**harrybarracuda** · 01-11-2019, 02:19 AM

Originally Posted by Troy

^ It appears that Boeing changed the manufacturing process to save costs. Bean counters fail again on a plane that already cuts corners...it doesn't have main undercarriage doors to cut costs...

Boeing put profit before safety.

That's the culture that needs changing.

**OhOh** · 01-11-2019, 04:58 AM

Trolley dollies will save the day.

American Airlines flight attendants stand up to Boeing CEO on 737 MAX

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-boeing-737max-american-airline-unions/american-airlines-flight-attendants-voice-737-max-concerns-to-boeing-ceo-letter-idUSKBN1XA2JO?il=0

Flexing their muscles, Pubococcygeus and Lliococcygeus, in sympathy.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...lvic_Floor.jpg

**Klondyke** · 01-11-2019, 02:11 PM

$160mn spent & 5 years in the making: Netanyahu’s Air Force One malfunctions AHEAD of test flight

Israel’s first-ever Air Force One has suffered a brake malfunction, ahead of its first test flight. The ambitious project, conceived by PM Benjamin Netanyahu five years ago, has repeatedly drawn criticism over its staggering cost.

The Boeing 767-300ER jet, which will be shared by the country’s president and prime minister and used on overseas trips, is expected to make its first test flight on Sunday at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. The eagerly awaited takeoff was somewhat marred on Thursday, when the plane experienced an apparent braking system malfunction.

One of the aircraft’s wheels began emitting smoke during the runway tests, triggering a massive response from the emergency services. Fortunately, their help was not needed and the situation ended with no injuries or damage, according to local media reports.

READ MORE: Up to 50 Boeing planes grounded globally after wing-related cracks discovered

The aircraft, destined to become the country's very first Air Force One, was ordered at Netanyahu’s request five years ago and, since then, the construction has repeatedly drawn criticism over its ballooning costs. The project's price tag has more than doubled over the years – it grew from a hefty sum of about $77 million to a truly eye-watering $164 million.

https://www.rt.com/news/472284-israe...lfunction-test

**OhOh** · 02-11-2019, 12:21 PM

An audio interview with one of the most experienced flight performance "certifiers" discussing the then super-planes of the UK. The V Bombers and Concorde.

All had some forms of computer control, all had "stability" problems, but all eventually went in to service either for the military or civilian operators.

Entertaining to hear of his experiences and regrets. His work was only of the flight performance and limits, not structural or engines.

Recorded in 1992 so the language and interviewing technique are by today's standards "mild". A question and the interviewed responding with their knowledge.

One question was regarding the ability of Concorde's ability to remain stable, if two engines failed.

The reply indicated the simple pilot's response not only to one engine on opposite wings failing at the same time, but also two engines on the same wing failing. Again a non event for the pilot to remain in control. He illustrated a comparable USA military 4 engined military plane from the same era, The Hustler", which allegedly disintegrated in the 2 engine/one wing failure scenario.

The interviewed also gave his opinion of his foreign testing/certifying contemporaries who at the time were individual country based as opposed to the current merged organisations. This is the last five minutes is his interview. Generally very positive except for .....

Not much has changed it seems for nearly 30 years.

The D. P. Davies Interviews on Concorde and the V-bombers.

“The test pilots’ test pilot”, former CAA Chief Test Pilot D. P. Davies talks frankly about the civil aircraft that he put through his paces before being certified as safe in the UK.

In the last of four podcasted interviews the author of commercial pilots bible “Handling the big jets”, recalls the time he was asked to fly the Avro Vulcan, the Vickers Valiant, the Handley Page Victor V-bombers and the Concorde.

The interview was conducted by Rodney Giesler in 1992 and edited by Mike Stanberry FRAeS."

https://soundcloud.com/aerosociety-p...-the-v-bombers

**cisco999** · 04-11-2019, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by MeMock

If it is any consolation that accident occurred back in 1977 and is still the deadliest crash in aviation history with 583 people dead.

And was easily avoidable.

**HuangLao** · 04-11-2019, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Boeing put profit before safety.

That's the culture that needs changing.

Not likely, though....

**OhOh** · 05-11-2019, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by HuangLao

Not likely, though....

A report of the US politicle hearings, a distracting spectacle for the masses as the country descends into anarchy.

Pontifications: Congressional hearings on Boeing dominated by grandstanding–but damning documents revealed

"Senate hearing largely theater.

House hearing has grandstanding, but substance, too.
House reveals some damning documents.
Muilenburg claims no knowledge of legal strategy, but top lawyer reports directly to him.

Nov. 4, 2019, © Leeham News: Last week’s Congressional hearings about the Boeing 737 MAX crisis was just as I expected: theatre, lots of grandstanding, little substance and testimony that elicited little in the way of new information.
The US Senate hearing was a perfect example of playing to the television by many Senators.

The House hearing certainly had its share, but in more lucid moments, some House members produced new documents that were especially damning to Boeing.

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg and John Hamilton, VP and chief engineer, did no harm to Boeing, which was probably the prime objective. (Hamilton is no relation to me.)
Muilenburg did harm to himself, however, and some Members of Congress landed some damning blows.

Senate hearing

The Senate hearing produced nothing new. The Senators didn’t offer documents or information that could contribute to finding out anything or which could lead to fixing the myriad of contributing factors to the certification of the MAX, development of MCAS and the two accidents.
Montana Sen. John Tester was spot on when he observed Muilenburg “pivoted” on direct questions, noting that as a politician, he, Testor, “knows a pivot when I see it.”
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former courtroom litigator that he is, drilled Muilenburg on the now-infamous Forkner text messages.
But otherwise, the Senators’ performance seemed geared more for their five minutes on TV than in any real interest in safety matters. Wide shots later showed several empty Senator seats—those having left after their five minutes of TV time.

House hearing

The House members did their share of grandstanding, too, but they took their job and this hearing far more seriously than the Senate (a low bar, to be sure).
The questions to Muilenburg and Hamilton were far more pointed, far more substantive and confrontational. Some House members produced documents that had not been previously revealed, some of which were especially damning to Boeing’s approach to developing and certifying MCAS.
There were repeated calls for Muilenburg to resign and one that he give up his compensation ($23m last year). It’s tough to tell how much of this was theatre and how much of this was genuine (although, clearly, one suggestion from a former CEO/mid-size business owner was obviously sincere).

Muilenburg

Muilenburg’s responses, however, were cringe-worthy.
The Board of Directors sets his compensation, he repeatedly said. The Board of Directors removed his chairman’s title.

This coming from the same man who repeatedly said he’s accountable and the buck stops with him.
Muilenburg may be technically correct in both responses, but there is nothing preventing him from donating his compensation to a victim’s fund or scholarships or something. He’s rich enough already that he can afford to do so.

He can also submit his resignation, something he says he hasn’t done.
Regardless of the merits of either suggestion, his passing the buck to the Board had terrible optics.
But, like the infomercial, that’s not all.

“I know nothing”

When asked about Boeing’s legal strategy, reported in newspapers, that it wants to move all lawsuits out of the US to Indonesia or Ethiopia, where liability awards are a fraction of those in the US, Muilenburg professed complete ignorance. He acknowledged awareness of the newspaper reports.

Off camera, the incredulity of a couple of the House members was clear.

I couldn’t agree more.

How Muilenburg, the president, CEO and at the time also the chairman, could not be aware of Boeing’s legal strategy is beyond belief.

Let’s go back to May 1, when Boeing announced Michael Luttig would handle all MAX legal matters. The press release said:

Boeing names Luttig senior counselor and senior advisor

Boeing today named J. Michael Luttig to the newly-created position of counselor and senior advisor to Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Dennis Muilenburg and the Boeing board of directors. Brett Gerry succeeds Luttig as general counsel. Both changes are effective immediately.

Luttig, 64, who has served as general counsel since joining the company in 2006, will manage all legal matters associated with the Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 accidents. He also will serve as counselor and senior advisor to Muilenburg and the Boeing board of directors on these and other special matters. Luttig continues to hold the title of executive vice president and remains on the company’s Executive Council.

“During his 13 years of service at Boeing, Judge Luttig has built the finest legal team in the world and delivered an unparalleled record of success for the company,” Muilenburg said. “Judge Luttig is not only a brilliant legal mind, but also a critical voice on all the important issues and opportunities facing our company.”

“He continues to be a trusted partner and advisor as he steps into this new role.”

Luttig is counselor and senior advisor to Muilenburg. He will manage all legal matters relating to the Lion Air and Ethiopian crashes. He remains part of the executive council.

And Muilenburg claims he knows nothing about legal strategy?

It’s mind-boggling.

Boeing HQ did not respond to a request for comment.

The missing links

There were, however, some missing links in the hearings: the FAA and Congress itself.
Recognizing that these hearings were about listening to Boeing, nevertheless the few questions about the FAA’s role in the certification and review of MCAS and the MAX was not adequately pursued. Unfortunately, Muilenburg stuck to the messaging that Boeing complied with regulations and ADOs (the designated FAA representatives that are Boeing employees) did their jobs.

This was an opportunity for Muilenburg to say things could be done to improve the system and offer concrete examples.
It was also a chance for Muilenburg to hit home the fact that if Congress wants the FAA to do more, Congress needs to fund the FAA adequately.

Of course, this would have been politically incorrect and I understand why he wouldn’t want to go down this rabbit hole.

But Congress is every bit as culpable. When the FAA can’t even get its own reauthorization act approved by Congress, which would not only fund safety but improvements to Air Traffic Control, Congress deserves to be tagged.
Of course, Congress won’t do this sort of navel-gazing."

https://leehamnews.com/2019/11/04/po...ed/#more-31576

**harrybarracuda** · 05-11-2019, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by OhOh

When the FAA can’t even get its own reauthorization act approved by Congress, which would not only fund safety but improvements to Air Traffic Control, Congress deserves to be tagged.

Which is an odd statement considering it was passed and signed into law more than a year ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FAA_Re...on_Act_of_2018

**harrybarracuda** · 06-11-2019, 08:08 PM

**harrybarracuda** · 07-11-2019, 07:45 PM

Tens of thousands of Lufthansa passengers faced disruptions Thursday as cabin crew in Germany kicked off a "massive" 48-hour walkout in the biggest escalation yet of a bitter row over pay and conditions.
The strike called by Germany's UFO flight attendants' union was scheduled to start at 2300 GMT on Wednesday and last until 2300 GMT on Friday.
Lufthansa said it was forced to scrap 700 flights on Thursday and some 600 the following day, warning that "around 180,000 passengers will be affected."
The UFO union said the stoppage would impact all Lufthansa departures from German airports.
Last-minute efforts by Germany's largest airline to halt the strike failed after a court in Frankfurt on Wednesday confirmed that the walkout was legal.
Lufthansa said it regretted the inconvenience caused to passengers and stressed that the group's other airlines were not affected.

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/11/07/610580/Germany-Lufthansa-strike-cabin-crew

**OhOh** · 09-11-2019, 12:41 PM

An Update on the Boeing 737 MAX

Friday, November 08, 2019, 4:30 PM

"Updated Nov. 8, 2019 at 4:30 p.m. CT. American Airlines remains in continuous contact with the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation and Boeing. Based on the latest guidance, American anticipates that the resumption of scheduled commercial service on American's fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will occur March 5, 2020.

Updated Nov. 8, 2019 at 4:30 p.m. CT.

Boeing 737 MAX expected to return to scheduled service March 5, 2020
American Airlines remains in continuous contact with the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation and Boeing. Based on the latest guidance, American anticipates that the resumption of scheduled commercial service on American's fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will occur March 5, 2020. Once the aircraft is certified, American expects to run exhibition flights, or flights for American team members and invited guests only, prior to March 5."

Newsroom - An Update on the Boeing 737 MAX - American Airlines Group, Inc.

**harrybarracuda** · 09-11-2019, 01:53 PM

The Republican Boeing stooges won't be happy with the FAA being forced to do its fucking job properly, but thankfully the Democrats aren't taking that shit.

Two of the most powerful lawmakers on the House transportation committee demanded Thursday that the Federal Aviation Administration explain why some of its managers overruled the agency’s own safety experts during the development of Boeing’s 737 Max plane.
Representatives Peter A. DeFazio of Oregon, who is the chairman of the committee, and Rick Larsen of Washington said in a letter to the agency that when F.A.A. employees raised concerns about a set of cables that help control the Max, they were sidelined by agency managers. The cables are part of a rudder system that is separate from the automated software that contributed to two fatal 737 Max accidents.
A New York Times investigation revealed in July that F.A.A. managers had sided with Boeing in a dispute over the cables, deciding not to require the company to change the system, citing the cost.
The letter also notes a different instance in which senior managers at the F.A.A. broke with their own employees’ assessment and allowed Boeing to remove lightning protection from part of the 787 Dreamliner.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/07/business/boeing-737-max-faa.html

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