Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Ethiopian Airlines plane crash

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Some readable history here: https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/2/18...error-mcas-faa

    Comment


      That's one hell of an article, thanks for posting it, ursus. It's not so much the on-the-fly software changes that are the problem, it's the change of purpose of MCAS from being a behind the scenes assistant to the pilots into a more general purpose stall prevention system. Couple into that Boeing's attitude to secrecy, even internally it seems such that one set of employees doesn't understand what some of their colleagues are doing, plus a thoroughly bad design implementation followed by a lack of proper testing, you end up with an aeroplane that's downright dangerous to fly when something as simple as a single sensor goes wrong. Also telling in the Boeing not understanding what they've created department is the disparity in the timescales between the predicted release of the software fix in the immediate aftermath of the Ethiopian Airlines tragedy and the reality.

      Comment


        And another argument against agile software development. Fine in theory, and in some cases, but totally unsuitable for critical stuff like this.

        Comment


          I do wonder if Boeing's increased focus on the military side of their business has been at least part of the reason things have gone so wrong with the 737 Max. The over-reliance on tech, secrecy and lack of co-oordination are all characteristic of defence procurement over here.

          Comment


            Originally posted by WOM View Post

            They'll solve the technical issue and, for the benefit of nervous passengers, the name of the plane will quietly change in a few months.
            https://gizmodo.com/boeing-says-its-...-ma-1835614102

            Comment


              That's assuming it will ever fly again.

              The FAA found more stuff wrong with the plane just recently. It was suggested on Dutch teletext that this latest problem requires not a computer software update, but a computer hardware change.

              Comment


                Yeah, it's terrible news for Boeing, for sure. But I have few doubts that they'll all fly again. There's simply too much at stake for them to 'scrap' a full flying fleet of aircraft.

                Comment


                  I'm flying Ethiopian Airlines to Hargeisa via Addis tomorrow morning.

                  Comment


                    Not on a 737 Max, though

                    Comment


                      Originally posted by ursus arctos View Post
                      Not on a 737 Max, though
                      No - they've gone back to the 737-800

                      Comment


                        graun

                        "Photos have emerged of a repainted 737 Max in Ryanair colours outside Boeing’s manufacturing hub, with the name 737 Max replaced by 737-8200 on the nose"

                        Cheeky.

                        Comment


                          Damn good article that, and of what can happen when an engineering company ceases to be engineering-led. Nokia MP went down a not dissimilar route.

                          Comment


                            [URL="https://twitter.com/wsj/status/1206341688857370624?s=21"]https://twitter.com/wsj/status/1206341688857370624[/URL]

                            Comment


                              At what stage will Boeing dump this Aircraft. There is only so much discounting and US government inducements/bullying they can do. Any sane Airliner would buy the A320Neo. Also, whilst this drags on, attention may start to switch to the design and engineering on their other aircraft. If people start to investigate the 787 and uncover dodgy stuff, then the company is toast.

                              Comment


                                Turkish Airlines are threatening to sue Boeing over the grounding of planes, I'm surprised companies have been so patient in public about this.

                                Apart from Boeing and Airbus are there any other real alternatives for companies or is it a duopoly?

                                Comment


                                  Embraer, though in practice they mainly seem to be used in Latin America. Not sure if they have any jumbo models either.

                                  Comment


                                    Originally posted by Antepli Ejderha View Post
                                    Turkish Airlines are threatening to sue Boeing over the grounding of planes, I'm surprised companies have been so patient in public about this.

                                    Apart from Boeing and Airbus are there any other real alternatives for companies or is it a duopoly?
                                    Like I said, Heavy discounts and rebates coupled with political pressure from the US government.

                                    Comment


                                      Originally posted by Ginger Yellow View Post
                                      Embraer, though in practice they mainly seem to be used in Latin America. Not sure if they have any jumbo models either.
                                      Aren't they into Short range aircraft so more a rival to Bombardier.

                                      Comment


                                        Thanks for the answers TG and GY.

                                        Comment


                                          [URL="https://twitter.com/cnbcnow/status/1209113159015059457?s=21"]https://twitter.com/cnbcnow/status/1209113159015059457[/URL]

                                          TG is right. Embraer don't do long range, wide body aircraft.

                                          The smallest 737 Max carries more passengers than anything that they have ever made.

                                          Comment


                                            As we know, thee main reason that the 737 Max is the Frankenstein aircraft that it is, is due to Boeing keeping it compatible with old models of 737, so that pilots don't have to retrain. Thus saving money for the likes of Southwest and Ryanair, who have an entirely 737 fleet.

                                            I read somewhere that if Boeing had instead released a totally new 737, the pilot retraining costs would have been 13,000 dollars per pilot. Which is fuck all. FFS. This reminds me of the Deepwater Horizon thing, which could have been avoided if Dubya and Dick Cheney hadn't done away with regulations mandating a $100k auto shut-off valve.

                                            Comment


                                              Originally posted by ursus arctos View Post
                                              [URL="https://twitter.com/cnbcnow/status/1209113159015059457?s=21"]https://twitter.com/cnbcnow/status/1209113159015059457[/URL]

                                              TG is right. Embraer don't do long range, wide body aircraft.

                                              The smallest 737 Max carries more passengers than anything that they have ever made.
                                              I think the Chinese are trying to build something 737 sized

                                              Comment

                                              Working...
                                              X