Comments on: Better Things to Talk About.

By: James Patrick

James Patrick — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 04:45:34 +0000

There doesn’t seem to be any record of the work that was done involving the door plug removal and reinstallation. If true, it was unauthorized rework, one of the highest crimes in aerospace manufacturing. 40 years as a mechanic, manufacturing engineer, and finally training instructor makes me suspect 1st shift began this illegal act and got as far as torquing the castle nuts prior to end of shift. Second shift took over and failed to install cotter pins in the castle nuts as they replaced insulation blankets and interior side panels. When the FBI completes its investigation, I hope the responsible parties and their line managers rot in federal prison. This could have been so much worse at 35,000 feet with a near maximum pressure differential and passengers in that row. Resignation of the Boeing CEO, Head of Commercial Airplane Division, and Head of 737 Division were a good start. For God’s sake, put engineers on the board and listen to their professional advice!

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 18:08:59 +0000

Patrick, Don’t leave us hanging! Tell us more about your depressurization outing…and the others.

By: Carlos Si

Carlos Si — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 17:57:54 +0000

Hmm… would the door being ejected at FL350 not also take a part of the fuselage from the sudden pressure change?

Aviation safety has come a tremendous long way, but this is certainly a step in the wrong direction, even if nobody died. That door could have also landed on someone and died unexpectedly.

By: Jess

Jess — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 18:40:32 +0000

Is there a cruising altitude at which a depressurization of this sort would be dangerous for passengers?

By: wilson

wilson — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 01:51:57 +0000

Apparently, for some Boeing reason or something, there are no plugs in the cockpits. SOLVED.

By: PSimpson

PSimpson — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 21:38:48 +0000

If I’m reading that AWST quot correctly, that means tha FOUR retaining bolts would need to fall out before that door plug could move.

Four bolts that should have been secured with nuts and cotter pins. Which they obviously were not, because the couldn’t have come out if the nuts had been retained with cotter pins.

This strikes me as a fairly Big Deal. As a kid, I crewed for a glider pilot. He impressed upon me that the wing bolts needed to be installed front to back, and he inspected this *every time*. For Boeing or their subcontractor not to have done similar due diligence seems…unthinkable. Are their assembly empooyees no longer required to have A&P certificates?

By: Bryant Rothfeld

Bryant Rothfeld — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 04:06:36 +0000

Have you ever seen someonwill never hear well again.e after an explosive decompression? They have AT LEAST a bad headache and

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 22:54:13 +0000

I have spent most of my life flying, as a passenger, enjoy it, and have until the past decade held Boeing in the highest regard. However, my confidence in Boeing has sunk to the lowest degree possible with the revelations about Boeing’s lack of proper training for pilots of the 737 MAX, and with stories about sloppy manufacturing practices. But it is the 737 MAX story that has led me, as a kind of protest, to avoid airlines that fly Boeing aircraft. Needless to say, I will not fly the 737 MAX ever, regardless of how many assurances Boeing makes, they have proven themselves to be an untrustworthy company. Fortunately, all of my flying now is only from the US to Europe, and I fly only European carriers, so it is fairly easy to give my business to Airbus. This is a very sad state of affairs for a company that once was the finest aeronautical engineering company in the world.

By: Gimlet Winglet

Gimlet Winglet — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 09:20:27 +0000

> asked why this “plug” was able to pop out of the fuselage when an airplane’s doors open inward to prevent popping out.

Because a “door plug” (term of art in the airline industry) is not the same thing as a plug door. Sorry to bork your counterfactual rant.

By: Speed

Speed — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 23:40:10 +0000

Thomas and Bruce Pierce have correctly asked why this “plug” was able to pop out of the fuselage when an airplane’s doors open inward to prevent popping out.

From AWST …

“The plug’s design includes 12 “stop-fitting” device fittings that keep the insert from moving outward (see diagram, page 14). When the plug is in place, fittings on it match up with stop pads around the frame. Two hinges along the plug’s bottom and two guide roller fittings—one on each side of the plug near the top that fit into rollers attached to the frame—allow the plug to move up so its fittings can clear the pads and swing outward. But upward movement is possible only if four bolts are removed, effectively unlocking the plug. The bolts, secured by castellated nuts and cotter pins, are installed horizontally near each hinge and through each roller fitting.”

Note, “But upward movement is possible only if four bolts are removed … ” and I suspect that the likelihood of four bolts spontaneously falling out is about as likely as an engine falling off because its retaining hardware came loose. This is why all the attention is aimed at Spirit — the airframe manufacturer and the words, “never tightened” are appearing in print.

https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/safety-ops-regulation/new-quality-problems-rock-boeing-trigger-faa-probe