More Boeing Bad News

Message
Author
Boac
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17255
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 5:12 pm
Location: Here

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#981 Post by Boac » Thu Mar 07, 2024 8:53 am

Whatever - one thing you can be sure of, by now someone will have made a bolt for the door.

User avatar
OFSO
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 18717
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2015 6:39 pm
Location: Teddington UK and Roses Catalunia
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#982 Post by OFSO » Thu Mar 07, 2024 9:21 am

CNN

Boeing has not turned over important records to investigators probing the door plug blowout on a 737 Max earlier this year, investigators say. That, Boeing signaled Wednesday afternoon, is because there are no records.

The records in question are documentation of steps on the assembly line last fall when National Transportation Safety Board investigators believe Boeing employees removed critical bolts that hold the plug in place, but did not reinstall the bolts before the plane left the Boeing factory in October 2023. The plane flew about 150 commercial flights before the plug blew out.

150 flights without a problem ? Pretty good for a Boeing I'd have thought...

User avatar
Fox3WheresMyBanana
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 13247
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:51 pm
Location: Great White North
Gender:
Age: 61

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#983 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » Thu Mar 07, 2024 2:19 pm

There must have been records at some point, or whoever signed off the aircraft back into service was in error for not checking same.
Exactly how many records are missing? The final sign-off, that whole job, several jobs, or the whole kit-and kaboodle?
And are they missing for other aircraft, or just that one?
Because the final answer may mean Boeing is in breach of just about the entire FAA regs. And, since the two aren't always the same, common sense.

Boac
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17255
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 5:12 pm
Location: Here

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#984 Post by Boac » Thu Mar 07, 2024 2:39 pm

There must have been records at some point.
Put money on that?

User avatar
Fox3WheresMyBanana
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 13247
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:51 pm
Location: Great White North
Gender:
Age: 61

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#985 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » Thu Mar 07, 2024 4:53 pm

Nope!

PHXPhlyer
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8367
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:56 pm
Location: PHX
Gender:
Age: 69

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#986 Post by PHXPhlyer » Thu Mar 07, 2024 5:54 pm

NTSB probing ‘stuck’ control incident on Boeing 737 Max

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/07/business ... index.html

Boeing is now party to a new federal investigation involving a 737 Max after United Airlines pilots reported that part of the flight controls became jammed as they landed in Newark last month.

In a newly-released preliminary report of the February 6 incident, the National Transportation Safety board says the pilots of the Boeing 737 Max 8 “experienced ‘stuck’ rudder pedals during the landing rollout.” The rudder controls an airplane’s yaw, or the left and right swinging of the nose.

The NTSB says none of the 161 people on United flight 1539 were injured and the plane returned to the gate, though United maintenance crews were able to “duplicate the reported rudder system malfunction” during a test flight three days later.

The investigation is the latest to involve a nearly-new Boeing 737 Max aircraft following the door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 on January 5. The NTSB says in this latest incident, the 737 Max 8 was delivered from Boeing to United Airlines in February 2023.

CNN has reached out to Boeing as well as Collins Aerospace, which makes an autopilot servo that is connected to the 737 Max 8 rudder controls. The NTSB says the servo in question was disabled by United Airlines, but cold temperature tests by Collins as part of the investigation revealed the servo’s “output crank arm would prevent the rudder pedals from moving.”

CNN has reached out to United for comment as well.

This is the first instance of this issue being reported on a 737 Max, according to a source familiar with the matter, but not the first instance on any Boeing plane.

A similar occurrence was reported twice, both in 2019, on the previous model of 737. That aircraft – the 737 Next Generation – uses a rudder pedal system. In both previous cases, the issue was fixed by replacing parts on the plane, the source said.

PP

Boac
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17255
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 5:12 pm
Location: Here

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#987 Post by Boac » Thu Mar 07, 2024 6:00 pm

Maybe one of the missing bolts jammed it?

PHXPhlyer
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8367
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:56 pm
Location: PHX
Gender:
Age: 69

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#988 Post by PHXPhlyer » Thu Mar 07, 2024 6:02 pm

Then only three more needing to be found.

PP

PHXPhlyer
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8367
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:56 pm
Location: PHX
Gender:
Age: 69

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#989 Post by PHXPhlyer » Thu Mar 07, 2024 7:09 pm

Another Boeing Max mishap: NTSB probes 'stuck' rudder pedals on United Airlines flight to New Jersey
UAL Flight 1539 from the Bahamas to New Jersey experienced stuck rudder pedals during a landing rollout on Feb. 6. The plane was ultimately able to taxi safely.

More details:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/an ... rcna142286

An investigation is underway into a Boeing-manufactured United Airlines plane that experienced “stuck” rudder pedals during a landing rollout last month.

Flight 1539, which had flown from Nassau, Bahamas, experienced the mishap after touching down at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Feb. 6, according to a National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report released Thursday.

The captain of the Boeing 737-8 aircraft reported that during the landing rollout, which occurs after touchdown and before the plane slows to taxi speed, the rudder pedals did not respond to the application of foot pressure while attempting to “maintain the runway centerline,” the report said.

Instead, the pedals were “stuck” in their neutral position.

“The captain used the nose wheel steering tiller to keep the airplane near the runway centerline while slowing to a safe taxi speed before exiting the runway onto a high-speed turn-off,” the report said.

During the high-speed turnoff, the captain asked the first officer to check his rudder pedals and he reported the same issue. Shortly after that, the rudder pedals began to operate normally, the report said.

The aircraft, carrying 155 passengers and 6 crew members, was able to park safely. No one was injured.

The flight crew then notified United Airlines maintenance of the flight control malfunction and the plane was removed from service for maintenance and troubleshooting.

A review of the flight’s data recorder data corroborated the pilot’s account of what happened, and showed that the rudder surface position remained near its neutral position during the landing and rollout, even though the force inputs to the rudder pedals were increasing, the report said.

The data showed that about 30 seconds after touchdown, a “significant pedal force input was observed along with corresponding rudder surface movement. Afterward, the rudder pedals and rudder surface began moving as commanded and continued to function normally for the remainder of the taxi.”

Three days later on Feb. 9, United conducted a test flight on the event airplane at Newark, and “was able to duplicate the reported rudder system malfunction.”

The NTSB was notified about the flight control issue after the flight test and an incident investigation was opened with the involvement of the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing and Collins Aerospace.

A post-incident inspection of the rudder control system “found no obvious malfunctions with the system.” When some rudder system components were removed, United conducted a second test flight and found that the rudder control system operated normally.

NBC News has reached out to Boeing and United Airlines for comment. The investigation is ongoing.

This marks yet another issue with Boeing's already highly-scrutinized Max program after a Boeing-made Alaska Airlines plane door panel blew out midair over Portland, Oregon, on Jan. 5.

A preliminary investigation by the NTSB found that bolts had not been installed on that door plug.

The incident prompted the FAA to temporarily ground all Boeing 737 Max 9 airplanes operating in the U.S. and subsequently increase oversight over Boeing aircraft production.

On Monday, a Boeing 737-900 plane flown by United Airlines from Texas to Florida made an emergency landing after bright orange flames were seen shooting out of the plane’s engine.

PP

PHXPhlyer
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8367
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:56 pm
Location: PHX
Gender:
Age: 69

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#990 Post by PHXPhlyer » Fri Mar 08, 2024 1:29 am

Incident: United B38M at Newark on Feb 6th 2024, stuck rudder pedals on landing
By Simon Hradecky, created Thursday, Mar 7th 2024 20:44Z, last updated Thursday, Mar 7th 2024 20:45Z

https://avherald.com/h?article=515dab89&opt=0

A United Boeing 737-8 MAX, registration N47280 performing flight UA-1539 from Nassau (Bahamas) to Newark,NJ (USA) with 155 passengers and 6 crew, landed on Newark's runway 04R when during roll out the rudder pedals were stuck in the neutral position. The captain maintained directional control via the steering tiller, rolled out without further incident and taxied the aircraft to the apron.

The aircraft underwent a test flight the following day during which the anomaly was replicated.

On Mar 7th 2024 the NTSB reported:

In a post-incident statement, the captain reported that during the landing rollout, the rudder pedals did not move in response to the “normal” application of foot pressure while attempting to maintain the runway centerline. The pedals remained “stuck” in their neutral position. The captain used the nosewheel steering tiller to keep the airplane near the runway centerline while slowing to a safe taxi speed before exiting the runway onto a high-speed turn-off. While on the high-speed turnoff, the captain asked the first officer to check his rudder pedals and he reported the same problem. The captain reported, that shortly thereafter, the rudder pedals began to operate normally. After parking the aircraft, the flight crew notified UAL maintenance of the flight control malfunction. The airplane was removed from service for maintenance and troubleshooting.

A review of preliminary flight data recorder (FDR) data corroborated the pilot’s statements regarding the malfunction of the rudder system. Data showed that during the landing and subsequent rollout, the rudder surface position remained near its neutral position even though the force inputs to the rudder pedals were observed to be increasing. About 30 seconds after touchdown, a significant pedal force input was observed along with corresponding rudder surface movement. Afterward, the rudder pedals and rudder surface began moving as commanded and continued to function normally for the remainder of the taxi.

On February 9, 2024, UAL conducted a test flight on the event airplane at EWR and was able to duplicate the reported rudder system malfunction identified during the incident. As a result, the test flight profile was discontinued, and the airplane returned to EWR and landed uneventfully.

The NTSB was notified of the flight control issue after the flight test and an incident investigation was started.

The NTSB further reported:

Post-incident troubleshooting and inspection of the rudder control system found no obvious malfunctions with the system or any of its components whose failure would have resulted in the restricted movement observed during flight 1539 and the test flight. As a precaution, the aft rudder input torque tube and associated upper and lower bearings and the rudder rollout guidance servo were removed for further examination by the NTSB systems group.

...

On February 28, 2024, the Systems group met at the Collins Aerospace facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to examine and test the SVO-730 rollout guidance servo removed from the incident airplane. The testing was conducted to evaluate the effects that temperature “cold soaking” of the servo might have on the torque required to move the servo’s output crank arm. Testing at room temperature found that the torque to rotate the servo’s output crank arm was within design specifications. The unit was then “cold soaked” for 1 hour and the test was repeated. That testing found that the torque to move the servo’s output crank arm was significantly beyond the specified design limits. Because the servo output crank arm is mechanically connected to the rudder input torque tube, the restricted movement of the servo’s output crank arm would prevent the rudder pedals from moving as observed during flight 1539 and the test flight. Further examination of the SVO-730 rollout guidance servo will be conducted as the investigation continues.


Reader Comments: (the comments posted below do not reflect the view of The Aviation Herald but represent the view of the various posters)
Ironic
By OddManOut on Thursday, Mar 7th 2024 22:48Z

It's ironic that the 737-200 had (presumably different) issues with its rudder control under certain cold conditions. See UAL 585 and USAir 427.

Temps
By Farmboy on Thursday, Mar 7th 2024 21:34Z

It was "cold soaked" for one hour. Presumably at temperatures reasonably expected in the upper flight levels.

One hour at those altitudes isn't very long these days.



Boeing/rudder
By Raffles on Thursday, Mar 7th 2024 21:28Z

How different is the rudder system on the MAX to the regular 737NG series? We already know the how different the pitch control system is. And we also know that the the classic system had latent faults (United Airlines Flight 585 and USAir Flight 427)

Fleet wide ?
By Lance Bouvier on Thursday, Mar 7th 2024 21:09Z

I wonder if this servo problem will result in another big problem for the Max 8 fleet ? No info provided on the temperature of the "cold soak" - was it as cold as the temperatures normally experienced at altitude ?


PP

PHXPhlyer
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8367
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:56 pm
Location: PHX
Gender:
Age: 69

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#991 Post by PHXPhlyer » Sun Mar 10, 2024 2:25 am

Justice Department investigating door plug blowout on Alaska Airlines flight, report says
A panel of the Boeing 737 Max 9’s fuselage, known as a “door plug,” detached midflight, prompting the plane to return to its origin city.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ju ... rcna142629

The Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into the door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines-operated Boeing 737 Max 9 flight in January, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

The Wall Street Journal, citing “documents and people familiar with the matter,” reported that the DOJ has contacted some passengers who were on the flight to notify them that they are potential victims in the criminal investigation, and that the agency has interviewed pilots and flight attendants who were on the flight.

Both the Justice Department and Boeing said they had no comment on the investigation.

“In an event like this, it’s normal for the DOJ to be conducting an investigation,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement, adding that it is “fully cooperating and [we] do not believe we are a target of the investigation.”

On Jan. 5, Flight 1282 departed Portland International Airport for Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County, California, but turned back after a portion of the plane’s fuselage, known as a “door plug,” detached shortly after takeoff. No one on board was seriously injured and the plane landed safely, but officials cautioned that the situation could have been “much more tragic.”

The incident prompted the temporary grounding of some Boeing 737 Max 9 airplanes. Planes have since returned to service.

An investigation led by the National Transportation Safety Board preliminarily found there were no bolts installed on the door plug.

According to The Wall Street Journal, investigators are looking into whether Boeing complied with a settlement following the 2018 and 2019 737 Max 8 crashes that claimed the lives of 346 people.

The DOJ ultimately placed blame on Boeing in those cases, which in turn blamed two former pilots who determined the amount of training needed to fly the Max planes.

Boeing was ordered to pay $2.5 billion to settle the investigation in 2021, and the government said it would drop a charge of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. after three years if Boeing followed the terms of the settlement.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Boeing could face prosecution on the original count of defrauding the U.S. if, in this new case, the DOJ finds Boeing is at fault of violating the terms of the 2021 settlement. The government could also extend a three-year probationary agreement requiring Boeing to keep the DOJ updated on compliance improvements, the Journal reported.

Following the January Alaska Airlines incident, a number of passengers filed suit against the airline and Boeing.

In the days following the blowout, seven passengers filed a class-action lawsuit against Boeing, alleging the company “delivered the subject 737 MAX-9 to Alaska Airlines, Inc. without properly securing the [door] plug to the airframe,” or because the bolts and seals used to install the panel were defective.

In February, three passengers filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Alaska Airlines and Boeing, accusing the companies of negligence and alleging they ignored warning signs that could have prevented the door plug fiasco.

Jonathan Johnson, a lawyer representing those passengers, said in a Saturday statement, “We are pleased that DOJ has opened this investigation to help determine why this plane was not properly manufactured.”

He added that he hopes “those responsible will be held accountable.”

This week, the Federal Aviation Administration said an audit of Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems — which made the plane at the center of January’s incident — “found multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.”

PP

PHXPhlyer
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8367
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:56 pm
Location: PHX
Gender:
Age: 69

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#992 Post by PHXPhlyer » Sun Mar 10, 2024 2:03 pm

Boeing says it can't find work records related to door panel that blew out on Alaska Airlines flight over Oregon :-o
The company said it believes the records about the panel’s removal and reinstallation were never created, even though Boeing’s systems required it.

https://www.12news.com/article/travel/b ... 1825929cb7

SEATTLE — Boeing has acknowledged in a letter to Congress that it cannot find records for work done on a door panel that blew out on an Alaska Airlines flight over Oregon two months ago.

“We have looked extensively and have not found any such documentation,” Ziad Ojakli, Boeing executive vice president and chief government lobbyist, wrote to Sen. Maria Cantwell on Friday.

The company said its “working hypothesis” was that the records about the panel's removal and reinstallation on the 737 MAX final assembly line in Renton, Washington, were never created, even though Boeing's systems required it.

The letter, reported earlier by The Seattle Times, followed a contentious Senate committee hearing Wednesday in which Boeing and the National Transportation Safety Board argued over whether the company had cooperated with investigators.

The safety board’s chair, Jennifer Homendy, testified that for two months Boeing repeatedly refused to identify employees who work on door panels on Boeing 737s and failed to provide documentation about a repair job that included removing and reinstalling the door panel.

“It’s absurd that two months later we don’t have that,” Homendy said. “Without that information, that raises concerns about quality assurance, quality management, safety management systems” at Boeing.

Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington, demanded a response from Boeing within 48 hours.

Shortly after the Senate hearing, Boeing said it had given the NTSB the names of all employees who work on 737 doors — and had previously shared some of them with investigators.

In the letter, Boeing said it had already made clear to the safety board that it couldn't find the documentation. Until the hearing, it said, “Boeing was not aware of any complaints or concerns about a lack of collaboration.”

Boeing has been under increasing scrutiny since the Jan. 5 incident in which a panel that plugged a space left for an extra emergency door blew off an Alaska Airlines Max 9. Pilots were able to land safely, and there were no injuries.

In a preliminary report last month, the NTSB said four bolts that help keep the door plug in place were missing after the panel was removed so workers could repair nearby damaged rivets last September. The rivet repairs were done by contractors working for Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, but the NTSB still does not know who removed and replaced the door panel, Homendy said Wednesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration recently gave Boeing 90 days to say how it will respond to quality-control issues raised by the agency and a panel of industry and government experts. The panel found problems in Boeing’s safety culture despite improvements made after two Max 8 jets crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people.

PP

Boac
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 17255
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 5:12 pm
Location: Here

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#993 Post by Boac » Sun Mar 10, 2024 5:23 pm

Boac wrote:
Thu Mar 07, 2024 2:39 pm
Fox3 wrote:There must have been records at some point.
Put money on that?

G-CPTN
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 7645
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2018 11:22 pm
Location: Tynedale
Gender:
Age: 79

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#994 Post by G-CPTN » Sun Mar 10, 2024 6:37 pm

The record should have stated "Bolts not installed."

User avatar
Fox3WheresMyBanana
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 13247
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:51 pm
Location: Great White North
Gender:
Age: 61

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#995 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » Sun Mar 10, 2024 6:48 pm

Unless records are absent for all similar repairs, it should be a simple exercise in elimination to work out who was working on the door, by eliminating everyone who was working on something else.
Elementary, my Dear Watson.

If records ARE absent for all similar, somebody senior at Boeing deserves to get a red-hot poker shoved up their..
Alimentary, my Dear Watson

User avatar
OFSO
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 18717
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2015 6:39 pm
Location: Teddington UK and Roses Catalunia
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#996 Post by OFSO » Sun Mar 10, 2024 7:16 pm

Alaska Airlines is at the centre of a second aviation plight after a plane arrived at an airport gate with its cargo door open.

The cargo hold was stowing passenger’s pets, according to local TV station KOIN, although none of the animals were injured.

The plane had flown in from Los Cabos, Mexico* and landed in Portland, Oregon on Friday 1 March.

Alaska Airlines told KOIN in a statement that “there was no indication to the crew that the door was unsealed during the flight and all indications point to the door partially opening after landing.

“Our maintenance teams inspected the aircraft, replaced a spring in the door, tested the door and reentered it into service."

Love this. I have this vision of cats with their claws embedded into safety strapping to avoid being sucked out ...

*" Badgches ? We don't need no steenking badgches..."

Karearea
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 4838
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2015 5:47 am
Location: The South Island, New Zealand

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#997 Post by Karearea » Sun Mar 10, 2024 7:41 pm

Could have been raining cats and dogs...
Around the world thoughts shall fly In the twinkling of an eye

User avatar
Fox3WheresMyBanana
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 13247
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:51 pm
Location: Great White North
Gender:
Age: 61

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#998 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » Sun Mar 10, 2024 8:10 pm

Reminds me of all the times that the Baghdad pet market got IED bombed.

PHXPhlyer
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8367
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:56 pm
Location: PHX
Gender:
Age: 69

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#999 Post by PHXPhlyer » Sun Mar 10, 2024 9:16 pm

Today is the fifth anniversary of the Ethiopian Max crash.

PP

User avatar
OFSO
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 18717
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2015 6:39 pm
Location: Teddington UK and Roses Catalunia
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: More Boeing Bad News

#1000 Post by OFSO » Mon Mar 11, 2024 2:49 pm

At least 50 people have been injured after a flight from Sydney to Auckland suffered a "technical" issue mid-air.
LATAM Airlines said in a statement there was "a technical event during the flight which caused a strong movement".
It added: "LATAM deeply regrets any inconvenience and discomfort this situation may have caused its passengers and reiterates its commitment to safety as a priority within the framework of its operational standards."

It said seven passengers and three cabin crew members were taken to hospital for medical checks, but no serious injuries had been reported.

Ambulance service Hato Hone St John said it was alerted to an "incident" at 3.58pm local time and seven ambulances, two rapid response vehicles and two major incident support team vehicles were among those deployed to the scene.
It said in an earlier statement around 50 people were assessed and treated at the scene, with one person in a serious condition and the remainder in a moderate to minor condition.

The LA800 flight, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, landed at Auckland Airport as scheduled on Monday afternoon, according to flight tracker, FlightAware.

Post Reply