Boeing safety bias

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 35

I`ve just read that Ansett Australia have had all there B767-200 grounded due to cracks in engine pylons which comes just 6 months after cracks where found in tails of seven of the same type of aircraft, followed one month later by yet another suffering the same problem.
This comes after the problems with the hydrolic piston operating the rudder on the 737 series of aircraft which was the likely cause of two crashs.
Then there is the explosion risk with the central fuel tanks on 747`s, when the tanks are empty of fuel but still have fuel vapour in, which brought down the TWA aircraft of the american coast.

How come that when Concorde had that dreadful crash in France (caused by a piece of trim of another aircraft) the aircraft is grounded until major redesign work is done to the tyres and wing tanks
Yet the only action about the cracks in the 767-200`s is just a routine check which neither Boeing or the FAA in America have made mandatory.
With the 747`s it is to fly with some fuel in the tanks NOT re-route the electic cables running trough the tanks
And the 737`s have only recently started to get redesigned rudder control gear (which came probebly as part of the new generation 737 package)

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Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 269

RE: Boeing safety bias

You raise an interesting point here. With regards to the Boeing 737, Boeing issued checking guidelines to all operators of 737-100/200/300/400/500 models once it was concluded that the United and US Air disasters may have been due to a rudder malfunction. Modifications were then carried out on aircraft and so far the problem appears to be resolved. It is interesting to note that the latest generation, the -600/700/800 and 900 all have redesigned, larger, tail fins with different rudders...

The Boeing 767 has been victim to pylon cracks more than once. The British Airways fleet has been checked over in the past because of these and were then rectified.
The biggest issue with the 767 however, is that concerning the Lauda Air disaster in Thailand a few years ago. The General Electric engines went into involuntary reverse thrust and caused the aircraft to break up in mid air. There is still much mystery as to why this happened. There are a large number of GE powered 767's operating worldwide and none have been grounded....

Could you imagine what would happen to world air travel if certification was withdrawn for the 737, 747 and 767? It would be a disaster. This could be why none have gone the same way as Concorde.

Airbus itself had problems in the early days of the A320, mainly due to pilots not being used to fly-by-wire and the aircraft's sophisticated computer management systems. The recent loss of a Gulf Air machine is still under investigation, yet none of these aircraft have been grounded either.

Concorde was grounded because it is a very high profile aircraft and most of the general public recognise the aircraft easily. Most people couldn't tell you the difference between a 737 and an A320, they are bread and butter aircraft which are seen everywhere. Taking a dozen or so Concordes out of service does not have any effect on global airtravel at all. The likes of BA and Air France will use a spare 767 or 747 to cover the flights that Concorde flew. Not that it really flew that many...

I am confident Concorde will return to the skies within the next twelve months, but due to the high profile of the machine, people will never forget Paris...

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,709

RE: Boeing safety bias

Boeing has been a victim of his of success. They have neglected many aspects in the production of their planes with intolerable faults like the B737 rudder, the reverse on the B767, the wiring on the MD and B747, and many other aspects which have made us think that "legends has sometimes clay feet".

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 35

RE: Boeing safety bias

LAST EDITED ON 15-05-01 AT 09:17 PM (GMT)[p]Re GE engines I may be wrong but I seam to remember Lufthansa grounding Some GE engined 747`s a few years ago due to an engine or engine pylon problem can any body confirm this. Also the FAA in America are going to use ex UA 747SP N147UA in ground and aircraft based fuel tank inerting tests which is only just short of 5 years since the TWA crash put down to this very problem