More Boeing Bad News

[Boac]

It looks as if the Max risks being grounded again because it is not grounded. Go figure...............

[TheGreenGoblin]

It looks as if the Max risks being grounded again because it is not grounded. Go figure...............

I assume you are referring to this?

U.S. air safety officials have asked Boeing Co (BA.N) to supply fresh analysis and documentation showing numerous 737 MAX subsystems would not be affected by electrical grounding issues first flagged in three areas of the jet in April, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The extra analysis injects new uncertainty over the timing of when Boeing's best-selling jetliner would be cleared to fly by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The electrical problems have suspended nearly a quarter of its 737 MAX fleet.

U.S. airlines have said they expected Boeing to release the service bulletins as soon as this week that would allow them to make fixes and soon return the planes to service, but this latest issue will likely push that timelime back.

“We continue to work closely with the FAA and our customers to address the ground path issue in affected 737s,” a Boeing spokeswoman said.

Asked about the status of the planes, a FAA spokesman said "we are continuing to work with Boeing."

Airlines pulled dozens of 737 MAX jets from service early last month after Boeing warned of a production-related electrical grounding problem in a backup power control unit situated in the cockpit on some recently built airplanes.

The problem, which also halted delivery of new planes, was then found in two other places on the flight deck, including the storage rack where the affected control unit is kept and the instrument panel facing the pilots.

The glitch is the latest issue to beset the 737 MAX, which was grounded for nearly two years starting in 2019 after two fatal crashes.

The slog of questions over a relatively straightforward electrical issue illustrates the tougher regulatory posture facing America's largest exporter as it tries to emerge from the 737 MAX crisis and the overlapping coronavirus pandemic.

Late last week, Boeing submitted service bulletins advising airlines on how to fix the problems with grounding, or the electrical paths designed to maintain safety in the event of a surge of voltage, the two people said.

The FAA has approved the service bulletins but then, in ongoing discussions with Boeing, asked for additional analysis over whether other jet subsystems would be affected by the grounding issue, one of the sources said. The FAA will review Boeing's analysis and any necessary revisions to the service bulletins before they can be sent to airlines.

Boeing has proposed adding a bonding strap or cable that workers screw onto two different surfaces creating a grounding path, two people said.

Boeing had initially told airlines a fix could take hours or a few days per jet.

The electrical grounding issue emerged after Boeing changed a manufacturing method as it worked to speed up production of the jetliner, a third person said. A fourth person said the change improved a hole-drilling process.

The FAA issued a new airworthiness directive last week requiring a fix before the jets resume flight, saying the issue impacts 109 in-service planes worldwide. Sources said it impacts more than 300 planes in Boeing’s inventory.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerosp ... 021-05-05/

[Boac]

A good down to earth analysis, TGG.

[TheGreenGoblin]

A good down to earth analysis, TGG.

I wasn't positive but now realise that I was never negative about the factual grounding of your story Boac.

[Boac]

Current affairs?

[k3k3]

Current affairs?

The story has potential.

[k3k3]

Another week, another airworthiness directive affecting the 737 MAX

The FAA issued a fresh airworthiness directive this week to address possible ‘pressure transducer corrosion following extended storage periods’ on the CFM LEAP1-B engines which power the 737 MAX

https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/wp-c ... gn=website

[PHXPhlyer]

$159,657 for 1 PSS unit.
Wonder if it is covered under warranty?
Will the airlines start getting scam phone calls about the warranty running out?
I know I get enough of them about cars.

PP

[PHXPhlyer]

Boeing Jumps After FAA Clears Repair Plan for Return of 737 Max

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/b ... to-flight/

By Julie Johnsson, Mary Schlangenstein and Alan Levin
Bloomberg
(Bloomberg) — Boeing Co. jumped after regulators signed off on repairs that would end a temporary grounding of newer 737 Max models, clearing the way for the planemaker to resume deliveries of a jetliner crucial to its financial turnaround.

The planemaker sent two service bulletins to 737 Max operators late Wednesday, providing instructions to repair a flight-deck electrical issue that sidelined 106 Max jets for more than a month — and could affect hundreds of 737 models made since early 2019.

The repair order, approved by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, resolves a manufacturing defect that has irritated customers, halted deliveries and thwarted Boeing’s plans to smoothly re-introduce its flagship jetliner after two fatal crashes.

Boeing climbed 2.6% $226.55 at 10:49 a.m. Thursday in New York, the biggest gain on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc., which manufactures 737 Max hulls, rose 5.5% to $43.03 after advancing 6.9%, its biggest intraday increase in a month.

Boeing handed over only four Max planes last month, halting deliveries after alerting airlines and lessors April 9 that some cockpit components weren’t properly grounded because of a slight manufacturing change. The issue involves “degraded” electrical connections on a standby power unit, a circuit breaker panel, and the plane’s main instrument display, the FAA said in April.

“After gaining final approvals from the FAA, we have issued service bulletins for the affected fleet,” Boeing said by email. “We’ll continue to stay close to our customers as they complete the work to return their airplanes to service. We are also completing the work as we prepare to resume deliveries.”

‘Pretty Straightforward’

The FAA issued an airworthiness directive requiring repairs on April 28 and said it was working with Boeing to finalize the fixes. The costs and time involved are fairly minimal. The repairs should take between nine and 24 hours per plane, for a cumulative tab of about $155,000 for the aircraft sidelined in the U.S. At least some of the expenses may be covered by warranty, the FAA said.

Southwest Airlines Co. estimated that repairs will take two to three days for each of its 32 Max aircraft grounded by the issues. The work, which should begin in the next several days, will take about three weeks to complete, the airline said Thursday.

FAA Administrator Steve Dickson told a congressional committee on Wednesday that the agency is conducting a review of how Boeing made the manufacturing changes that led to the grounding — and why the potential safety issues weren’t discovered for about two years.

The fixes will be “pretty straightforward,” Dickson told House lawmakers during a virtual hearing in Washington.

Vexed Customer

Boeing faces extra scrutiny as it works to address manufacturing lapses, while convincing regulators globally that the Max is safe. A crash off the coast of Indonesia in October 2018 and another in Ethiopia less than five months later killed a total of 346 people.

After the U.S. cleared the jet for service in November of last year, ending a 20-month flying ban, Air Lease Corp. had high hopes for the Max’s comeback this year, said Steven Udvar-Hazy, the aircraft lessor’s chairman. That’s giving way to frustration over the latest disruptions and the lag by regulators in Russia, China, India and Korea in clearing the plane to fly.

“The airplane is very, very popular if we can get it back in the air,” Hazy said at a CAPA Live virtual conference on Wednesday. “Boeing needs to get their act together to get these airplanes back in service and provide incentives for airlines to stay with the program.”

PP

[Boac]

I gather there are no grounds for the grounding of the 737Max on grounding concerns, then - is that right?

[Pontius Navigator]

Like modern battery issues, a rare earth problem.

[PHXPhlyer]

U.S. FAA confirms Boeing halts 787 Dreamliner deliveries pending approval of planned inspection method

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/28/us-faa- ... ethod.html

The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that Boeing had temporarily halted deliveries of 787 Dreamliners as the agency waits for more data to determine if the planemaker’s planned inspection method meets federal requirements.

“Boeing still needs to show that its proposed inspection method would meet FAA’s federal safety regulations. The FAA is waiting for additional data from Boeing before determining whether the company’s solution meets safety regulations,” the FAA said in a statement.

“Since the FAA has not approved Boeing’s proposal, Boeing chose to temporarily stop deliveries to its customers.”

Boeing said earlier it was providing the FAA with more information on its undelivered 787 Dreamliners but that there was no impact on planes already in service. The FAA noted it had issued two airworthiness directives to address production issues for in-service airplanes.

The U.S. planemaker’s 737 Max and 787 have been afflicted by electrical and other issues since late last year, and it only resumed deliveries of the 787s in March after a five-month hiatus.

“We are working to provide the FAA with additional information concerning the analysis and documentation associated with the verification work on undelivered 787s,” a Boeing spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

“We continue to work closely with the FAA in a transparent and timely manner. There is no impact on the in-service fleet.”

Boeing shares were down 1.9% in early trading to $247.63.

Two key U.S. lawmakers said last week they were seeking records from Boeing and the FAA on production issues involving the 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner.

The FAA said in September it was investigating manufacturing flaws involving some 787 Dreamliners. Boeing said in August airlines operating its 787 Dreamliners removed eight jets from service as a result of two distinct manufacturing issues.

In March, the FAA said it was taking “a number of corrective actions” to address multiple 787 production issues, including retaining authority to issue approval certificates for four specific aircraft.

On Thursday, Boeing agreed to pay $17 million in penalties under an FAA settlement after it installed equipment on 759 Boeing 737 Max and NG aircraft that contained sensors that were not approved. That fine also covers Boeing’s submission of 178 Boeing 737 Max aircraft for airworthiness certification when the aircraft potentially had non-conforming slat tracks installed and improperly marked those slat tracks.

PP

[Woody]

Here we go again

https://ukaviation.news/concerns-raised ... -promises/

[TheGreenGoblin]

Here we go again

https://ukaviation.news/concerns-raised ... -promises/

Emirates were beginning to dither about the 777X back in 2019, even before the pandemic struck the industry...

Emirates defer orders...

and kept on dragging its feet...

[Alisoncc]

Is it reasonable to assume that during all the "Boeing Bad News" as evidenced by this thread, there hasn't been any Airbus bad news? At all !

[PHXPhlyer]

Well, they did quit making the A380.
I guess that was kind of bad as I don't think they broke even on it.

PP

[llondel]

Surely there should be an Airbus Bad News thread for that? (And stop calling me Shirley)

[PHXPhlyer]

Boeing wants to delay delivery of new Air Force One jets by a year

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/09/business ... index.html

New York (CNN Business)Boeing is seeking a one-year delay in its deadline to deliver two new 747 jets to be used as Air Force One.

And that would mean added costs for taxpayers.
The aircraft manufacturer signed a $3.9 billion deal for the presidential planes with the Air Force in 2018. The planes are currently due to be delivered in 2024.
Now Boeing (BA) says it need additional time, and probably more money, too. It's blaming the delays and increased costs on both Covid-19 and its firing of a now-bankrupt subcontractor which had been doing much of the jets' interior work.
The request for a delay was disclosed Tuesday by Darlene Costello, the acting assistant secretary of the Air Force, at a House subcommittee hearing.
"Boeing has informed us that they believe it will be about 12 months beyond their original schedule," said Costello. She cautioned that the Air Force has not yet agreed to the delay and is looking to set a new delivery timetable.
"I wouldn't expect it to be more [time] than Boeing would say," she said.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun told investors in April that problems with the program were "largely due to covid impact and performance issues at our supplier."
The covid-related issues involve employees who worked on the planes who got sick or otherwise had to be quarantined and could not be replaced because of the high level of security clearance needed to work on parts of the jets.
The subcontractor, GDC Technics, had a deal with Boeing to design and build the interiors of the planes. But Boeing fired GDC in April and then sued the company for breach of contract in Texas state court — charging that it "failed to meet schedule requirements." GDC countersued, and filed for bankruptcy protection later that month.
Costello said that Boeing has filed a notice with the Air Force of its intention to ask for more money under what would be known as a "request for equitable adjustment." Boeing would not comment on how much more money Boeing might seek for its own work on the planes. It has already taken a $318 billion charge related to costs associated with the program.
"Obviously this is a disappointment to all of us," said Rep. Joe Courtney, a Connecticut Democrat and the subcommittee's chairman. "We thought maybe this was a program where the government actually got a good deal here."
After the 2016 election, but before he took office, then-President-elect Donald Trump criticized the proposed price of the two planes, which was then estimated to be more than $4 billion. He even threatened to cancel the contract for the planes. When the Air Force announced the $3.9 billion contract in 2018, it characterized that as a "savings of $1.4 billion."
Even just approving a delay for the new planes will result in an increased cost to taxpayers. The current jets have been in use since 1990, during six presidential administration starting with President George H.W. Bush. They will likely require another round of costly overhaul maintenance if their lifespan is extended past the planned 2024 retirement, Costello told the committee.

Technically, the Air Force One designation applies to any plane on which the president flies, so the planes being worked on by Boeing currently do not have that moniker. Boeing and the Air Force refer to the air craft themselves as VC-25B.
The planes start with a standard 747 and add state-of-the-art communications, missile avoidance systems, inflight refueling, VIP interior and protections from the electromagnetic pulse of a nuclear blast. That takes years and adds hundreds of millions of dollars to the cost. The work is now being done at a Boeing facility in San Antonio, Texas.
Boeing stopped building the 747 as a passenger plane in 2017 and plans to stop building it altogether in 2022 once it completes contracts for freighter versions of the jet ordered by United Parcel Service (UPS).

PP

[k3k3]

Perhaps they have already started painting it in the Trump colour scheme and think if they wait past 2024 they won't have to re-paint it...

[Boac]

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/b ... ification/