The Kayak booking site now allows an aircraft type filter.
Apparently flight choices excluding Boeing aircraft are becoming quite popular.
More Boeing Bad News
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Re: More Boeing Bad News
United flight Sydney to SanFrancisco yesterday returned to Sydney an hour after departure due to a hydraulic problem and landed safely, passengers
transferred to other flights. Aircraft was a Boeing B777.
transferred to other flights. Aircraft was a Boeing B777.
Re: More Boeing Bad News
Boeing whistleblower found dead in US
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-68534703
A former Boeing employee known for raising concerns about the firm's production standards has been found dead in the US.
John Barnett had worked for Boeing for 32 years, until his retirement in 2017.
In the days before his death, he had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company.
Boeing said it was saddened to hear of Mr Barnett's passing. The Charleston County coroner confirmed his death to the BBC on Monday.
It said the 62-year-old had died from a "self-inflicted" wound on 9 March and police were investigating.
Mr Barnett had worked for the US plane giant for 32 years, until his retirement in 2017 on health grounds.
From 2010, he worked as a quality manager at the North Charleston plant making the 787 Dreamliner, a state-of-the-art airliner used mainly on long-haul routes.
In 2019, Mr Barnett told the BBC that under-pressure workers had been deliberately fitting sub-standard parts to aircraft on the production line.
He also said he had uncovered serious problems with oxygen systems, which could mean one in four breathing masks would not work in an emergency.
He said soon after starting work in South Carolina he had become concerned that the push to get new aircraft built meant the assembly process was rushed and safety was compromised, something the company denied.
He later told the BBC that workers had failed to follow procedures intended to track components through the factory, allowing defective components to go missing.
He said in some cases, sub-standard parts had even been removed from scrap bins and fitted to planes that were being built to prevent delays on the production line.
He also claimed that tests on emergency oxygen systems due to be fitted to the 787 showed a failure rate of 25%, meaning that one in four could fail to deploy in a real-life emergency.
From February: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-68409029
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-68534703
A former Boeing employee known for raising concerns about the firm's production standards has been found dead in the US.
John Barnett had worked for Boeing for 32 years, until his retirement in 2017.
In the days before his death, he had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company.
Boeing said it was saddened to hear of Mr Barnett's passing. The Charleston County coroner confirmed his death to the BBC on Monday.
It said the 62-year-old had died from a "self-inflicted" wound on 9 March and police were investigating.
Mr Barnett had worked for the US plane giant for 32 years, until his retirement in 2017 on health grounds.
From 2010, he worked as a quality manager at the North Charleston plant making the 787 Dreamliner, a state-of-the-art airliner used mainly on long-haul routes.
In 2019, Mr Barnett told the BBC that under-pressure workers had been deliberately fitting sub-standard parts to aircraft on the production line.
He also said he had uncovered serious problems with oxygen systems, which could mean one in four breathing masks would not work in an emergency.
He said soon after starting work in South Carolina he had become concerned that the push to get new aircraft built meant the assembly process was rushed and safety was compromised, something the company denied.
He later told the BBC that workers had failed to follow procedures intended to track components through the factory, allowing defective components to go missing.
He said in some cases, sub-standard parts had even been removed from scrap bins and fitted to planes that were being built to prevent delays on the production line.
He also claimed that tests on emergency oxygen systems due to be fitted to the 787 showed a failure rate of 25%, meaning that one in four could fail to deploy in a real-life emergency.
From February: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-68409029
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Fox3WheresMyBanana
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Re: More Boeing Bad News
Boeing’s got serious problems. The solution has baffled everyone
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/13/business ... index.html
It took decades for Boeing to build a reputation as one of the most reliable companies on the planet. It’s taken less than six years to undo it all and leave the once-great American company facing an uncertain future.
Regulators, airlines, fliers and even Boeing’s own workers are practically in revolt after a series of mid-flight disasters and a steady erosion of the company’s quality standards. Investors are none too thrilled, either: Boeing’s stock (BA) is down 27% for the year, making it the second-worst performer in the S&P 500, behind Tesla.
The latest headache for Boeing came Monday, when a 787 Dreamliner flying from Australia to New Zealand plunged suddenly mid-flight, injuring several passengers. It’s not clear what, if any, culpability Boeing has here — it said it’s gathering information about what went wrong. But the accounts from passengers are hardly flattering at a moment when Boeing is already under federal investigation for the Jan. 5 door-plug blowout.
Brian Jokat, a passenger on Monday’s Latam Airlines flight, told CNN he was jolted awake when the plane began falling so suddenly that people were tossed into the cabin ceiling. (In a separate interview with The Wall Street Journal, he said: “You know in The Exorcist, when the girl flies from the bed and hits the ceiling? It’s exactly that scene.” )
For any other company, now would be the time to call the lawyers and start working on a sale or a bankruptcy. Within the past six years, Boeing has been found responsible for two fatal crashes that killed 346 people, lost tens of billions of dollars, paid billions more in fines and settlements, and it made headlines for repeated quality control problems.
But Boeing is not any other company.
It is, for all intents and purposes, an untouchable American institution — an aerospace utility essentially posing as a private enterprise. And it barely even has regulators to stand up to. The FAA is so underfunded that it relies on Boeing to “self-regulate.” So it’s no wonder the FAA administrator this week was shocked, SHOCKED, to find Boeing has failed half of its audit of its production facility.
Boeing, in a statement, said it is working diligently to work out the issues highlighted by the FAA.
“Based on the FAA audit, our quality stand downs and the recent expert panel report, we continue to implement immediate changes and develop a comprehensive action plan to strengthen safety and quality, and build the confidence of our customers and their passengers,” Boeing said in a statement. “We are squarely focused on taking significant, demonstrated action with transparency at every turn.”
Too big to fail
The company is often called a duopoly, not a monopoly, because it is, technically, competing globally with its European rival Airbus. But it’s not a true competition. Boeing’s main customers are airlines, which can’t suddenly switch to Airbus if they’re upset with Boeing. Pilots are certified in one or the other, so once you make your choice, you’re pretty much stuck with it.
Given Boeing’s singular importance in the American aviation industry, it is the definition of Too Big to Fail. Boeing is immune to most of the forces, like consumer choice, that other companies must contend with to stay in business. We the people couldn’t get rid of it if we wanted to.
So, how do we solve a problem like Boeing?
“If you ask me, the first thing that needs to happen for Boeing to gain trust is to basically fire the entire C suite,” Gad Allon, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, told me Tuesday. “I know that will not happen, but … there is not a single person that has a C in front of their title that is not responsible for what we’re seeing now.”
Allon isn’t holding his breath for Boeing’s board of directors on that front.
Another idea that’s occasionally bandied about: Nationalize Boeing.
Matt Stoller, the director of research at the American Economic Liberties Project, a progressive think tank, made that case in January in his newsletter, arguing that the government has a history of nationalizing utilities, railroads and aerospace firms.
And after all, he notes, Boeing already counts about 40% of its revenue from government contracts and much of the rest from plane orders that US officials regularly peddle abroad.
“Boeing is a state-backed national champion,” Stoller wrote. “The fairy tale of a private firm is only hindering a fix to this once-great organization.”
Of course, Boeing isn’t in the kind of financial distress that typically precedes a government takeover (a fact that’s also courtesy of years of government support, but still). Nationalization seems politically interesting but practically unlikely.
“There’s really no short- and mid-term good option,” Allon says.
The bigger concern, for him, is what happens when these one-off scary events — door plugs ripping away mid-flight, etc — start becoming more frequent.
“This can be really as big as a financial crisis,” considering how many businesses around the world rely on Boeing planes.
He added: “It’s not that I think that there is a risk of all of these planes falling from the sky tomorrow … [But] the moment we start seeing these things as more recurring, I think it moves from being an ‘event risk’ to a ‘continuous risk’ ” that could have devastating consequences.
PP
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/13/business ... index.html
It took decades for Boeing to build a reputation as one of the most reliable companies on the planet. It’s taken less than six years to undo it all and leave the once-great American company facing an uncertain future.
Regulators, airlines, fliers and even Boeing’s own workers are practically in revolt after a series of mid-flight disasters and a steady erosion of the company’s quality standards. Investors are none too thrilled, either: Boeing’s stock (BA) is down 27% for the year, making it the second-worst performer in the S&P 500, behind Tesla.
The latest headache for Boeing came Monday, when a 787 Dreamliner flying from Australia to New Zealand plunged suddenly mid-flight, injuring several passengers. It’s not clear what, if any, culpability Boeing has here — it said it’s gathering information about what went wrong. But the accounts from passengers are hardly flattering at a moment when Boeing is already under federal investigation for the Jan. 5 door-plug blowout.
Brian Jokat, a passenger on Monday’s Latam Airlines flight, told CNN he was jolted awake when the plane began falling so suddenly that people were tossed into the cabin ceiling. (In a separate interview with The Wall Street Journal, he said: “You know in The Exorcist, when the girl flies from the bed and hits the ceiling? It’s exactly that scene.” )
For any other company, now would be the time to call the lawyers and start working on a sale or a bankruptcy. Within the past six years, Boeing has been found responsible for two fatal crashes that killed 346 people, lost tens of billions of dollars, paid billions more in fines and settlements, and it made headlines for repeated quality control problems.
But Boeing is not any other company.
It is, for all intents and purposes, an untouchable American institution — an aerospace utility essentially posing as a private enterprise. And it barely even has regulators to stand up to. The FAA is so underfunded that it relies on Boeing to “self-regulate.” So it’s no wonder the FAA administrator this week was shocked, SHOCKED, to find Boeing has failed half of its audit of its production facility.
Boeing, in a statement, said it is working diligently to work out the issues highlighted by the FAA.
“Based on the FAA audit, our quality stand downs and the recent expert panel report, we continue to implement immediate changes and develop a comprehensive action plan to strengthen safety and quality, and build the confidence of our customers and their passengers,” Boeing said in a statement. “We are squarely focused on taking significant, demonstrated action with transparency at every turn.”
Too big to fail
The company is often called a duopoly, not a monopoly, because it is, technically, competing globally with its European rival Airbus. But it’s not a true competition. Boeing’s main customers are airlines, which can’t suddenly switch to Airbus if they’re upset with Boeing. Pilots are certified in one or the other, so once you make your choice, you’re pretty much stuck with it.
Given Boeing’s singular importance in the American aviation industry, it is the definition of Too Big to Fail. Boeing is immune to most of the forces, like consumer choice, that other companies must contend with to stay in business. We the people couldn’t get rid of it if we wanted to.
So, how do we solve a problem like Boeing?
“If you ask me, the first thing that needs to happen for Boeing to gain trust is to basically fire the entire C suite,” Gad Allon, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, told me Tuesday. “I know that will not happen, but … there is not a single person that has a C in front of their title that is not responsible for what we’re seeing now.”
Allon isn’t holding his breath for Boeing’s board of directors on that front.
Another idea that’s occasionally bandied about: Nationalize Boeing.
Matt Stoller, the director of research at the American Economic Liberties Project, a progressive think tank, made that case in January in his newsletter, arguing that the government has a history of nationalizing utilities, railroads and aerospace firms.
And after all, he notes, Boeing already counts about 40% of its revenue from government contracts and much of the rest from plane orders that US officials regularly peddle abroad.
“Boeing is a state-backed national champion,” Stoller wrote. “The fairy tale of a private firm is only hindering a fix to this once-great organization.”
Of course, Boeing isn’t in the kind of financial distress that typically precedes a government takeover (a fact that’s also courtesy of years of government support, but still). Nationalization seems politically interesting but practically unlikely.
“There’s really no short- and mid-term good option,” Allon says.
The bigger concern, for him, is what happens when these one-off scary events — door plugs ripping away mid-flight, etc — start becoming more frequent.
“This can be really as big as a financial crisis,” considering how many businesses around the world rely on Boeing planes.
He added: “It’s not that I think that there is a risk of all of these planes falling from the sky tomorrow … [But] the moment we start seeing these things as more recurring, I think it moves from being an ‘event risk’ to a ‘continuous risk’ ” that could have devastating consequences.
PP
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Fox3WheresMyBanana
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Re: More Boeing Bad News
I fail to see how nationalizing it is going to work.
None of the government's nationalized industries (e.g. rail) work, and indeed Amtrak has quite a few recent accidents that are the same as Boeing's - totally avoidable and brought about by bureaucratic cost cutting.
So I don't think a bunch of Professors and Think Tank Directors can add anything to what those of us on this forum already know.
And I don't think sacking the C-suite works here; they need to be in jail, as does the FAA director, to encourage their successors.
But do please fire them first.
The real problem is two-fold. The first is that government regulation, in so many fields, suppresses competition.
There is no free market.
Only a genuinely free market would allow better competitors who would put the shoddy companies out of business.
The second is the financial markets, which have turned the stock market into a hi-tech gambling forum.
No one with real money is actually holding stock to help build a better company. They just want returns.
Slap a one month minimum on stockholding, not the 17 microseconds that is currently possible.
And derivatives need banning, as does options holding without an insurable interest.
None of the government's nationalized industries (e.g. rail) work, and indeed Amtrak has quite a few recent accidents that are the same as Boeing's - totally avoidable and brought about by bureaucratic cost cutting.
So I don't think a bunch of Professors and Think Tank Directors can add anything to what those of us on this forum already know.
And I don't think sacking the C-suite works here; they need to be in jail, as does the FAA director, to encourage their successors.
But do please fire them first.
The real problem is two-fold. The first is that government regulation, in so many fields, suppresses competition.
There is no free market.
Only a genuinely free market would allow better competitors who would put the shoddy companies out of business.
The second is the financial markets, which have turned the stock market into a hi-tech gambling forum.
No one with real money is actually holding stock to help build a better company. They just want returns.
Slap a one month minimum on stockholding, not the 17 microseconds that is currently possible.
And derivatives need banning, as does options holding without an insurable interest.
Re: More Boeing Bad News
Boeing failed to retain security camera footage showing work on Max jet door that blew out, NTSB says
Boeing also will not identify employees who worked on the fuselage of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, which made an emergency landing after the incident.
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/busine ... rcna143241
Security camera footage showing work being done on a Boeing Max 9 door plug that later blew out mid-air has been overwritten, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board said.
In a letter to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that is reviewing the incident and Boeing's role in it, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said her agency still lacks critical information about the chain of events that led up to the January incident that caused an Alaska Airlines flight carrying 177 people to make an emergency landing.
"We still do not know who performed the work to open, reinstall, and close the door plug on the accident aircraft," Homendy wrote. "Boeing has informed us that they are unable to find the records documenting this work."
She continued: "A verbal request was made by our investigators for security camera footage to help obtain this information; however, they were informed the footage was overwritten. The absence of those records will complicate the NTSB’s investigation moving forward."
Homendy said in the letter that she also personally called Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun and asked him for the names of the workers who performed the work in question. But, Homendy said, Calhoun stated he was "unable to provide that information and maintained that Boeing has no records of the work being performed."
A Boeing spokesperson said the company, like many others, does not retain security footage for longer than 30 days. The Alaska Airlines plane in question was in the factory last year in September and delivered in October.
“We will continue supporting this investigation in the transparent and proactive fashion we have supported all regulatory inquiries into this accident," Boeing said. "We have worked hard to honor the rules about the release of investigative information in an environment of intense interest from our employees, customers, and other stakeholders, and we will continue our efforts to do so.”
Homendy had previously publicly reprimanded Boeing for failing to turn over information her agency had requested, calling it “absurd.”
Last week, NBC News confirmed a Wall Street Journal report that the U.S. Department of Justice had opened a criminal case into the incident.
On Monday, South Carolina officials confirmed a Boeing whistleblower was found dead of an apparent self-inflected gunshot wound. The former employee, John Barnett, 62, was preparing to testify in a deposition in a federal legal action against Boeing dating back to at least 2017.
Barnett's family in a statement that he had encountered “a culture of concealment” that valued “profits over safety” at Boeing.
The New York Times also reported this week that an FAA audit of Boeing’s 737 Max production reportedly found "dozens of issues."
This week, major carriers that fly Boeing fuselages including Alaska Airlines, Southwest, and United Airlines said they may have to trim capacity and push back orders as a result of Boeing's issues.
“Boeing needs to become a better company and the deliveries will follow that,” Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan said at a JPMorgan industry conference Tuesday, according to CNBC.
PP
Boeing also will not identify employees who worked on the fuselage of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, which made an emergency landing after the incident.
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/busine ... rcna143241
Security camera footage showing work being done on a Boeing Max 9 door plug that later blew out mid-air has been overwritten, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board said.
In a letter to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that is reviewing the incident and Boeing's role in it, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said her agency still lacks critical information about the chain of events that led up to the January incident that caused an Alaska Airlines flight carrying 177 people to make an emergency landing.
"We still do not know who performed the work to open, reinstall, and close the door plug on the accident aircraft," Homendy wrote. "Boeing has informed us that they are unable to find the records documenting this work."
She continued: "A verbal request was made by our investigators for security camera footage to help obtain this information; however, they were informed the footage was overwritten. The absence of those records will complicate the NTSB’s investigation moving forward."
Homendy said in the letter that she also personally called Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun and asked him for the names of the workers who performed the work in question. But, Homendy said, Calhoun stated he was "unable to provide that information and maintained that Boeing has no records of the work being performed."
A Boeing spokesperson said the company, like many others, does not retain security footage for longer than 30 days. The Alaska Airlines plane in question was in the factory last year in September and delivered in October.
“We will continue supporting this investigation in the transparent and proactive fashion we have supported all regulatory inquiries into this accident," Boeing said. "We have worked hard to honor the rules about the release of investigative information in an environment of intense interest from our employees, customers, and other stakeholders, and we will continue our efforts to do so.”
Homendy had previously publicly reprimanded Boeing for failing to turn over information her agency had requested, calling it “absurd.”
Last week, NBC News confirmed a Wall Street Journal report that the U.S. Department of Justice had opened a criminal case into the incident.
On Monday, South Carolina officials confirmed a Boeing whistleblower was found dead of an apparent self-inflected gunshot wound. The former employee, John Barnett, 62, was preparing to testify in a deposition in a federal legal action against Boeing dating back to at least 2017.
Barnett's family in a statement that he had encountered “a culture of concealment” that valued “profits over safety” at Boeing.
The New York Times also reported this week that an FAA audit of Boeing’s 737 Max production reportedly found "dozens of issues."
This week, major carriers that fly Boeing fuselages including Alaska Airlines, Southwest, and United Airlines said they may have to trim capacity and push back orders as a result of Boeing's issues.
“Boeing needs to become a better company and the deliveries will follow that,” Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan said at a JPMorgan industry conference Tuesday, according to CNBC.
PP
Re: More Boeing Bad News
Boeing whistleblower’s case could go on posthumously, attorney says
John Barnett, who died from an apparent suicide over the weekend, sounded the alarm in 2017 about potential “catastrophic” safety failings. His action against Boeing was set to reach a judge in June.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bo ... rcna143001
A whistleblower and former Boeing inspector who died from an apparent suicide just months before his yearslong case was coming to a head could have his matter heard posthumously, a legal expert said.
John Barnett, 62, of Louisiana, was found dead Saturday in the parking lot of a Charleston, South Carolina, Holiday Inn “from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” a county coroner said.
Barnett was in town to give deposition testimony in his federal legal action against Boeing, with his case, which dates back to 2017, set to finally come before an administrative law judge this summer, according to his legal team.
Barnett's death should not end the claim, as his estate could be substituted in as the complainant, Washington, D.C., whistleblower attorney Stephen Kohn said.
“He won’t be able to get reinstatement, but the estate should be able to get compensatory damages for the stress that he suffered and back retirement,” Kohn said.
For years, Barnett had alleged that Boeing retaliated against him for exposing potential safety issues with the 787 Dreamliner.
Under federal whistleblower protections, air industry employees like Barnett who believe they’ve been targeted for making concerns known are required to press their case through an administrative law process known as AIR21.
Boeing has denied it retaliated against Barnett, but it failed in 2022 to get the plaintiff’s case tossed.
Barnett had alleged he was the victim of a “hostile work environment and constructive discharge,” according to a May 31, 2022, ruling against the company by an administrative law judge.
Employers allegedly targeted Barnett with “downgraded performance reviews” and “removal from investigations, denial of transfers, harassment/denigration” that all might have amounted to a “constructive discharge,” the ruling said.
In the whistleblower community, the AIR21 process has well-known advantages and disadvantages, compared to a state or federal civil lawsuit, according to the attorney.
On one hand, administrative law judges are well versed in whistleblower law. On the other, there’s a logjam of cases that keep potential victims waiting for years.
“Delays, lack of resources, you could be out of work and out of a job for years,” Kohn said. “It’s very hard to get lawyers. How can you afford a lawyer when the case goes on and on?”
Barnett’s death stunned his attorneys, who believed their client was eager to finally present this case.
“He was in very good spirits and really looking forward to putting this phase of his life behind him and moving on,” attorneys Brian Knowles and Robert Turkewitz said in a joint statement on Tuesday. “We didn’t see any indication he would take his own life. No one can believe it.”
Knowles and Turkewitz said their client’s yearslong push showed how much he believed in the case.
“John was a brave, honest man of the highest integrity. He cared dearly about his family, his friends, the Boeing company, his Boeing co-workers, and the pilots and people who flew on Boeing aircraft,” the attorneys said. “We have rarely met someone with a more sincere and forthright character.”
They urged local police to keep investigating despite the coroner’s initial ruling.
“We are all devastated,” the legal team said. “We need more information about what happened to John. The Charleston police need to investigate this fully and accurately and tell the public what they find out. No detail can be left unturned.”
Boeing officials said they were “saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing,” but declined to answer additional questions about him or the case.
PP
John Barnett, who died from an apparent suicide over the weekend, sounded the alarm in 2017 about potential “catastrophic” safety failings. His action against Boeing was set to reach a judge in June.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bo ... rcna143001
A whistleblower and former Boeing inspector who died from an apparent suicide just months before his yearslong case was coming to a head could have his matter heard posthumously, a legal expert said.
John Barnett, 62, of Louisiana, was found dead Saturday in the parking lot of a Charleston, South Carolina, Holiday Inn “from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” a county coroner said.
Barnett was in town to give deposition testimony in his federal legal action against Boeing, with his case, which dates back to 2017, set to finally come before an administrative law judge this summer, according to his legal team.
Barnett's death should not end the claim, as his estate could be substituted in as the complainant, Washington, D.C., whistleblower attorney Stephen Kohn said.
“He won’t be able to get reinstatement, but the estate should be able to get compensatory damages for the stress that he suffered and back retirement,” Kohn said.
For years, Barnett had alleged that Boeing retaliated against him for exposing potential safety issues with the 787 Dreamliner.
Under federal whistleblower protections, air industry employees like Barnett who believe they’ve been targeted for making concerns known are required to press their case through an administrative law process known as AIR21.
Boeing has denied it retaliated against Barnett, but it failed in 2022 to get the plaintiff’s case tossed.
Barnett had alleged he was the victim of a “hostile work environment and constructive discharge,” according to a May 31, 2022, ruling against the company by an administrative law judge.
Employers allegedly targeted Barnett with “downgraded performance reviews” and “removal from investigations, denial of transfers, harassment/denigration” that all might have amounted to a “constructive discharge,” the ruling said.
In the whistleblower community, the AIR21 process has well-known advantages and disadvantages, compared to a state or federal civil lawsuit, according to the attorney.
On one hand, administrative law judges are well versed in whistleblower law. On the other, there’s a logjam of cases that keep potential victims waiting for years.
“Delays, lack of resources, you could be out of work and out of a job for years,” Kohn said. “It’s very hard to get lawyers. How can you afford a lawyer when the case goes on and on?”
Barnett’s death stunned his attorneys, who believed their client was eager to finally present this case.
“He was in very good spirits and really looking forward to putting this phase of his life behind him and moving on,” attorneys Brian Knowles and Robert Turkewitz said in a joint statement on Tuesday. “We didn’t see any indication he would take his own life. No one can believe it.”
Knowles and Turkewitz said their client’s yearslong push showed how much he believed in the case.
“John was a brave, honest man of the highest integrity. He cared dearly about his family, his friends, the Boeing company, his Boeing co-workers, and the pilots and people who flew on Boeing aircraft,” the attorneys said. “We have rarely met someone with a more sincere and forthright character.”
They urged local police to keep investigating despite the coroner’s initial ruling.
“We are all devastated,” the legal team said. “We need more information about what happened to John. The Charleston police need to investigate this fully and accurately and tell the public what they find out. No detail can be left unturned.”
Boeing officials said they were “saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing,” but declined to answer additional questions about him or the case.
PP
Re: More Boeing Bad News
Boeing, Alaska Airlines point fingers at each other in lawsuit over door plug blowout
The legal filings represent the first formal response from each company to any of at least three lawsuits filed in the wake of the Jan. 5 incident.
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/busine ... rcna143296
Boeing and Alaska Airlines have separately denied any legal responsibility for the injuries allegedly caused to dozens of passengers after a door-plug blew out of a 737-Max 9 jet during a flight in January.
In its formal answers this week to a class-action lawsuit brought by about 40 passengers of Alaska Flight 1282, Boeing generally acknowledged the preliminary findings of a National Transportation Safety Board investigation that determined the door plug was improperly installed. The company also agreed that, in an interview with CNBC, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun publicly described the incident as “our mistake.”
But Boeing denied liability for any damages alleged by the passengers, saying their lawsuit should be dismissed. The company also contended it cannot be held responsible for any injuries that may have resulted because its products were “improperly maintained, or misused by persons and/or entities other than Boeing.”
Likewise, Alaska denied liability, claiming any injuries stemming from the door plug blowout “were caused by the fault of persons or entities over whom Alaska Airlines has no control … including Defendant The Boeing Company and/or non-party Spirit AeroSystems.”
Alaska also denied that the activation of the plane’s cabin-pressure warning light three previous times within a month of the door-plug blowout — including on the day before the incident — was related or meant that the plane was unsafe to fly.
The legal filings, submitted as part of the case in the U.S. District Court in Seattle, represent the first formal response from each company to any of at least three lawsuits filed in the wake of the Jan. 5 incident.
Daniel Laurence, an attorney representing passengers who are part of the class action, said Wednesday he was “frankly surprised” that Boeing and Alaska “don’t want to simply admit liability and put this case behind them.”
“They’re putting up a wall and circling the wagons,” added Laurence, with the Strimatter Kessler Koehler Moore law firm in Seattle. “That’s disappointing, given what I think most of the population believes and the evidence appears to clearly support — that they put this aircraft into the air with an unsecured door plug that, had it come out a few minutes later, would have killed everybody on board.”
The incident occurred shortly after the Boeing-manufactured jet, carrying 171 passengers and six flight crew members, took off from Portland International Airport bound for Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County. After reaching an altitude of about 16,000 feet, the door plug blew out, leaving a large hole in the plane’s fuselage and forcing the plane to turn back to Portland, where it landed safely.
Following the incident, which has brought new scrutiny to Boeing and its troubled 737 Max airplanes, the FAA temporarily grounded some models of the plane. The NTSB investigation preliminarily found no bolts had been installed to secure the plug.
The FAA separately launched an audit into Boeing and its supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, finding “multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.” The Department of Justice has also separately opened a criminal probe into the door plug blowout, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
In the wake of the incident, at least three separate lawsuits have been filed by Flight 1282 passengers and their spouses, including cases in state courts in Washington and Oregon.
Passengers involved in the federal lawsuit, seeking class-action status, claim they were physically injured and traumatized by the door plug’s blow out, which caused rapid depressurization of the plane’s cabin and led to widespread panic.
“The pressure change made ears bleed and combined with low oxygen, loud wind noise and traumatic stress made heads ache severely,” the lawsuit states. “Passengers were shocked, terrorized and confused, thrust into a waking nightmare, hoping they would live long enough to walk the earth again.”
Since the incident, some passengers have avoided flying on any airplane, and some have sought counseling to deal with emotional trauma, Laurence said.
The lawsuit also alleges that several passengers had trouble breathing in the aftermath of the door plug blowout because oxygen masks that dropped during the incident weren’t functioning.
Alaska denied that any oxygen masks did not work in its filing this week.
The airline acknowledged that the jet’s auto cabin pressure controller light activated three times before the door plug blowout, leading Alaska to restrict the plane from flying on long routes over water. But Alaska disputed that the light warnings “made the aircraft unsafe to fly (and) denies any correlation between the pressurization controller warning light activations and the door plug accident on Flight 1282,” its filing says.
PP
The legal filings represent the first formal response from each company to any of at least three lawsuits filed in the wake of the Jan. 5 incident.
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/busine ... rcna143296
Boeing and Alaska Airlines have separately denied any legal responsibility for the injuries allegedly caused to dozens of passengers after a door-plug blew out of a 737-Max 9 jet during a flight in January.
In its formal answers this week to a class-action lawsuit brought by about 40 passengers of Alaska Flight 1282, Boeing generally acknowledged the preliminary findings of a National Transportation Safety Board investigation that determined the door plug was improperly installed. The company also agreed that, in an interview with CNBC, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun publicly described the incident as “our mistake.”
But Boeing denied liability for any damages alleged by the passengers, saying their lawsuit should be dismissed. The company also contended it cannot be held responsible for any injuries that may have resulted because its products were “improperly maintained, or misused by persons and/or entities other than Boeing.”
Likewise, Alaska denied liability, claiming any injuries stemming from the door plug blowout “were caused by the fault of persons or entities over whom Alaska Airlines has no control … including Defendant The Boeing Company and/or non-party Spirit AeroSystems.”
Alaska also denied that the activation of the plane’s cabin-pressure warning light three previous times within a month of the door-plug blowout — including on the day before the incident — was related or meant that the plane was unsafe to fly.
The legal filings, submitted as part of the case in the U.S. District Court in Seattle, represent the first formal response from each company to any of at least three lawsuits filed in the wake of the Jan. 5 incident.
Daniel Laurence, an attorney representing passengers who are part of the class action, said Wednesday he was “frankly surprised” that Boeing and Alaska “don’t want to simply admit liability and put this case behind them.”
“They’re putting up a wall and circling the wagons,” added Laurence, with the Strimatter Kessler Koehler Moore law firm in Seattle. “That’s disappointing, given what I think most of the population believes and the evidence appears to clearly support — that they put this aircraft into the air with an unsecured door plug that, had it come out a few minutes later, would have killed everybody on board.”
The incident occurred shortly after the Boeing-manufactured jet, carrying 171 passengers and six flight crew members, took off from Portland International Airport bound for Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County. After reaching an altitude of about 16,000 feet, the door plug blew out, leaving a large hole in the plane’s fuselage and forcing the plane to turn back to Portland, where it landed safely.
Following the incident, which has brought new scrutiny to Boeing and its troubled 737 Max airplanes, the FAA temporarily grounded some models of the plane. The NTSB investigation preliminarily found no bolts had been installed to secure the plug.
The FAA separately launched an audit into Boeing and its supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, finding “multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements.” The Department of Justice has also separately opened a criminal probe into the door plug blowout, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
In the wake of the incident, at least three separate lawsuits have been filed by Flight 1282 passengers and their spouses, including cases in state courts in Washington and Oregon.
Passengers involved in the federal lawsuit, seeking class-action status, claim they were physically injured and traumatized by the door plug’s blow out, which caused rapid depressurization of the plane’s cabin and led to widespread panic.
“The pressure change made ears bleed and combined with low oxygen, loud wind noise and traumatic stress made heads ache severely,” the lawsuit states. “Passengers were shocked, terrorized and confused, thrust into a waking nightmare, hoping they would live long enough to walk the earth again.”
Since the incident, some passengers have avoided flying on any airplane, and some have sought counseling to deal with emotional trauma, Laurence said.
The lawsuit also alleges that several passengers had trouble breathing in the aftermath of the door plug blowout because oxygen masks that dropped during the incident weren’t functioning.
Alaska denied that any oxygen masks did not work in its filing this week.
The airline acknowledged that the jet’s auto cabin pressure controller light activated three times before the door plug blowout, leading Alaska to restrict the plane from flying on long routes over water. But Alaska disputed that the light warnings “made the aircraft unsafe to fly (and) denies any correlation between the pressurization controller warning light activations and the door plug accident on Flight 1282,” its filing says.
PP
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Fox3WheresMyBanana
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Re: More Boeing Bad News
If any more corners had been cut, by any company or regulator involved in this, they'd have a perfect circle.
Re: More Boeing Bad News
'Horror plunge' story continues.
A little tape goes a long way... We used to use a little tape occasionally on rotor blades. Not much of it, mind.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/lat ... 7LCXEBPTE/
A little tape goes a long way... We used to use a little tape occasionally on rotor blades. Not much of it, mind.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/lat ... 7LCXEBPTE/
Re: More Boeing Bad News
I wonder how the first crew to fly on Starliner will feel about Boeing being in the production line. I understand the capsule has had to be stripped to replace a lot of wiring which has been 'found to be flammable' 
Better check all the doors and door plugs..........................and paperwork, if any..........
Better check all the doors and door plugs..........................and paperwork, if any..........
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Woody
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Re: More Boeing Bad News
JUST IN: Reuters reports that airline executives are 'frustrated with Boeing as its safety crisis has upended their business plans' and that the United Airlines CEO 'flew to France to talk with Airbus'
When all else fails, read the instructions.
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Fox3WheresMyBanana
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Re: More Boeing Bad News
Well, they aren't going to admit the fault was their own for trusting an obviously dodgy outfit purely because of the short-term bottom line, now are they?
And certainly not that all the trouble with the MAX started with airlines insisting there be no need for Type Sim Training.
And certainly not that all the trouble with the MAX started with airlines insisting there be no need for Type Sim Training.
Re: More Boeing Bad News
Juan's analysis of the loss of Center Hydraulic System on B777-300.
PP
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Fox3WheresMyBanana
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Re: More Boeing Bad News
- maintenance boeing.png (298.01 KiB) Viewed 305 times
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Fox3WheresMyBanana
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Re: More Boeing Bad News
Boeing has reportedly instituted weekly compliance checks in every work area, plus additional equipment checks.
I've seen this approach before, and I think it will only make the situation worse.
Either their delivery schedule will crater, or they will start skipping other checks to provide the time to do the new checks, and both sets of checks will become tick-box instead of done properly.
And I strongly expect the latter, since this is what they've been doing to end up in this situation...and they are pretty good at it now
They need new hires of competent, skilled technicians - the very people they laid off to hire the current lot of muppets.
I've seen this approach before, and I think it will only make the situation worse.
Either their delivery schedule will crater, or they will start skipping other checks to provide the time to do the new checks, and both sets of checks will become tick-box instead of done properly.
And I strongly expect the latter, since this is what they've been doing to end up in this situation...and they are pretty good at it now
They need new hires of competent, skilled technicians - the very people they laid off to hire the current lot of muppets.
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Rwy in Sight
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Re: More Boeing Bad News
But the skilled people need time (mainly) and resources to do the job effectively. Or alternatively the current lot of workers could do it as well if allocated the resources. I have helped customers to correct an upcoming problem when I the company allowed for it, and kicked the problem down the road not caring even hopping the issue will cause big issues later on.
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Woody
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Re: More Boeing Bad News
When all else fails, read the instructions.
Re: More Boeing Bad News
The history of development and manufacture of The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus air refueling tanker is a perfect example of Boeing's woes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_KC-46_Pegasus
In April 2019, it was confirmed that the USAF halted all deliveries on 23 March and until further notification, as loose material and debris were found in planes already delivered.
This problem is also an issue with B787s as well, especially those built in the union busting South Carolina plant in Charleston.
There was mention in one report on the inadequate tool tracking program.
All issues due to QC.
PP
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_KC-46_Pegasus
In April 2019, it was confirmed that the USAF halted all deliveries on 23 March and until further notification, as loose material and debris were found in planes already delivered.
This problem is also an issue with B787s as well, especially those built in the union busting South Carolina plant in Charleston.
There was mention in one report on the inadequate tool tracking program.
All issues due to QC.
PP