Yet another aviation thread.

Boeing has grounded the 737MAX test fleet while they look, along with the engine manufacturer, at cracks developed in the turbine blades.

They're not making a big deal about this, blaming it all on "quality control" issues. But it's a major concern. remember that plane whose engine blew up on the runway a few months ago? Cracks in a turbine part. Remember the Aloha jet that lost most of its upper fuselage in the 80s? Or the series of Comet crashes in the 50s? Cracks in the fuselage.

Cracks in metal components are a very serious matter. Cracks indicate either defective materials or metal fatigue. Fatigue is a common issue in long-term use. That happened to the Aloha 737. The Comets were afflicted with bad design, not fully understood at the time, which overstressed the fuselage under pressurization.

Quote: Nareed

Boeing has grounded the 737MAX test fleet while they look, along with the engine manufacturer, at cracks developed in the turbine blades.

Weren't Comet crashes due to pilots pumping fuel from wintanks into main tank which overflowed into airstream and thence directly into the cabin heater. No metal fagigue involved at all.

Aloah was indeed cracks in metal but it was a high duty cycle plane that was being maintained as if it had a normal flight profile.

Uncontained compressor failure incident was probably due to a counterfeit part but try finding the pieces and proving it.

The 737Max engines can not possibly be metal fatigue they are too new. There is some issue with the engine manufacturer though its details are as yet unknown.

I did something yesterday that most here would never consider. I had two flights on Spirit with flight times of 3:15 and 4:45. That is eight hours in the air in a tiny seat that doesn't recline. It was not nearly as bad as I had anticipated. I usually only fly Spirit for short trips. Both flights were ontime and I really didn't have any complaints that were Spirit's fault. On the other hand, Customs and Passport control was awful yesterday in Ft. Lauderdale.

Quote: DRich

On the other hand, Customs and Passport control was awful yesterday in Ft. Lauderdale.

I think their computer systems were subject to that worldwide cyberattack that a security specialist stopped and foolishly announced how he stopped it so the creators have now deleted that bug. FedEx seems to have been slowed by it as well though only briefly. It was mainly medical sites that got infected but not solely medical sites.

Quote: DRich

I did something yesterday that most here would never consider. I had two flights on Spirit with flight times of 3:15 and 4:45. That is eight hours in the air in a tiny seat that doesn't recline.

You know you're just ruining for the rest of us.

Quote: Nareed

You know you're just ruining for the rest of us.

Sorry, I am cheap. It would have cost $500 more for my wife and I to be on a different airline coming home. We flew Delta on the way to the islands but that was using my Delta mileage.

Quote: DRich

Sorry, I am cheap.

Exactly.

I read recently that the push for ever lower fares started with online travel agents and online booking, rather than with LCCs or ULCCs. That's when people started booking mostly on the basis of price. And then the airlines adapted by reducing legroom, and adding fees for everything. Basic Economy (sub-cattle class) is just the latest.

Quote: Nareed

Basic Economy (sub-cattle class) is just the latest.

The trouble is that safety and maintenance is going sub-cattle class too. And that is bad!

Quote: Nareed

Exactly.

I read recently that the push for ever lower fares started with online travel agents and online booking, rather than with LCCs or ULCCs. That's when people started booking mostly on the basis of price. And then the airlines adapted by reducing legroom, and adding fees for everything. Basic Economy (sub-cattle class) is just the latest.

As I have mentioned on other threads before the consumer gets exactly want he asks for. Lower prices keeps trumping everything else for the sales of almost everything. The trouble is most people want the quality they used to have and the lower pricing, the wanting to have your cake and eat it too syndrome.

Quote: Fleastiff

Weren't Comet crashes due to pilots pumping fuel from wintanks into main tank which overflowed into airstream and thence directly into the cabin heater. No metal fagigue involved at all.

I had never heard that before. I was only aware of the metal fatigue.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Comet