Manufacturing quality issues with the Boeing 737NG

It may be true, but I’d rather learn more before libeling Boeing.

So would I. I did preface my post ‘at face value’. It certainly would be incorrect to single out Boeing in particular, as on the surface it would appear that there could, and probably are, other possible culprits involved here. As for the two women getting their careers back, I would think thats unlikely, wouldn’t you? I can well remember the guy who blew the whistle on Alaska, for alleged maintenance malpractices at the carrier, concerning their MD80s. According to an Air Crash Investigation program, screened on National Geographic, which featured the case, he said that he had been ‘assured’ that he would never work in the industry again. It would be interesting to know how he is doing today.

It’s never as simple as it looks…”why would those two ‘whistle blowers’ throw away their careers, which I assume would have had a very good salary, status, and a good pension plan, for the sake of ’15 mins of fame’? It just doesn’t add up…”

Re: the “whistle blowers”…in America that can claim a large part of any fines levied against the company.

I’m not saying that’s the case here, but it certainly could be a motive for
their actions.

They could walk away with a lot of money, and get their old jobs back (with any due back pay, etc) if their claims are proven to have some (not necessarily complete) merit.

It’s happened many times before that people whose careers haven’t gone the way they wanted, such as getting a promotion they thought they deserved, have made claims against their employer.

Finally, you’d have to believe that out of the thousands of engineers, managers, inspectors, and quality assurance people at Boeing (and the airlines and governments that buy their planes) that these are the only two guys with a conscious.

It may be true, but I’d rather learn more before libeling Boeing.

At face value, a damning piece of journalism. Based purely on the programmes content, the one question that should surely be asked is this: Unless there was very substantial evidence in these ladies allegations, ref Boeing, its quality controls, and its dealings with its suppliers, why would those two ‘whistle blowers’ throw away their careers, which I assume would have had a very good salary, status, and a good pension plan, for the sake of ’15 mins of fame’? It just doesn’t add up. Is it likely that Al Jazeera would have offered them such a substantial fee as to replace those copious Boeing salaries? I don’t think so. So therefore why did they do it? Perhaps there was an offer of a condo each in sunny Doha! Somehow I doubt it.

Based on what I watched, these two individuals have done a courageous thing. They have done it at great expense and detriment to themselves and their families, for the sake of people that they don’t even know…the passengers and the crews who could, in the opinions of the experts in the programme, be at risk, and I salute them for that. The dubious activities in this matter, of the manufacturer, the regulatory bodies and the Dept. of Justice should worry those in the industry who view the safety of passengers and crews as being paramount to all else. The 737 is without doubt a damn fine airliner, and I would not think twice about taking my next flight on one. There may well be similar skeletons in cupboards down at AI in Toulouse, perhaps Al Jazeera should stop off there at some time.

As to the pedigree of Al Jazeera? I personally find it on a par with the likes of CNN and Sky, and often better than the BBC. Al Jazeera and their reporters and crews have very often found themselves, quite literally, in the cross wires of certain governments, both Arabic and Western. I doubt that there is any connection here between an Al Jazzera newsreaders admiration for Ahmadinejad, and selling F16s….but then again;)

I’d have to say that if it were verifiable, (and it may be for all I know) I’m sure the New York Times and CBS (neither exactly friendly to military-related businesses) would be all over the story.
And for you conspiracy theorists out there, Boeing isn’t a big advertiser.

Three weeks ago, The Times (of London) did a story on AlJazeera and interviewed the English language newsreader. She said she wasn’t worried about Ahmadinejad’s threats or Iran having nuclear weapons.

Nice to know her organization is worried about “dangerous” short range jets.:D

I wonder if there isn’t some payback for selling Israel F15s?

On Boeing and RFIDs – certainly Boeing are seen to be interested …

On Boeing and RFIDs – certainly Boeing are seen to be interested … but it does not answer the question I have posed in the post above – whether Boeing use passive RFIDs in their ‘workhorse’ 737 NG ?

See URLs –
http://www.mcoconnor.com/clips/pdfs/rfidjournal_boeing_oconnor.pdf
(the concepts in the paper above are possible but it will take a lot to clear safety as it is inflight not purely passive RFIDs)
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=mro&id=news/om311xtra1.xml (passive RFIDs do-able now)
http://www.rfidgazette.org/2004/11/boeing_airbus_u.html

Al Jazeera seems to be the only one making this ‘noise’ …..

Al Jazeera seems to be the only one making this ‘noise’ …..

I keep an open mind but in the US if this was as serious as the widespread coverage Al Jazeera is giving to it all over the internet, by now US investigative reporters would have been raking it in with coverage.

Does anyone know if RFIDs are used by Boeing and it’s subcontractors to track parts on the 737 NG?

By this I mean that if there is any substance in the allegations in the video (other world manufacturers in the automotive trade have been hit recently with serious quality issues impacting on safety) can the supposed parts (seem large enough to be RFID tracked if RFIDs were used initially) not be tracked on existing aircraft in service?

Yes I recognise chasing quality is expensive but if there is a compromise the alternative is lives lost in a catastrophic way.

At present I see the programme as a smear campaign.

No need to be so dramatic. :rolleyes: