Here's a statement of the obvious: The opinions expressed here are those of the participants, not those of the Mutual Fund Observer. We cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of any of it, though we do encourage civility and good humor.
@Crash - I've been a Democrat since forever. And I have to tell you, I agree with everything that you just said.
@hank - Yes. we also did well with Mario, many years ago.
Smart move. Rather than have hoards of passengers upset by last minute cancellations they give customers time to make alternate arrangements if possible and then gradually revise the UAL schedules as things get sorted out.
@Equalizer - I almost overlooked complimenting you on BYOB / Bring Your Own Bolts. My wife and I could hardly stop laughing at that one. At dinner last night for some reason it replayed in my mind and I started laughing all over again. The wife say…
The FAA is tightening oversight of Boeing and will audit production of the 737 Max 9
Following are extensively edited excerpts from a current NPR report:
The Federal Aviation Administration says it will increase its oversight of Boeing and its su…
FYI: In the Off-Topic section there is now an updated report: the FAA will increase oversight of Boeing citing ‘other manufacturing problems’.
The latest update is 1/12/24, 10:16 AM (PST)
Some years ago we were all boarded on United and ready to leave Frankfurt for Sf. The pilots noticed that a small piece of metal on the wing appeared to be loose, and we all sat there while the local United mechanical guys did their best to temporar…
@hank- I dunno- remember how Ted very angrily called me out when I was posting about the software automation /two-crash fiasco. "The best aircraft manufacturer in the world- they'll be right back on top very soon, etc.
Following are edited excerpts from a current report in The Guardian:
Boeing is facing a formal investigation into whether it made sure 737 Max 9 planes were “in a condition for safe operation” after a cabin panel blew off during an Alaska Airlines …
FYI: In the Off-Topic section there is now an updated report regarding an F.A.A investigation into the Boeing 737 Max 9.
The latest update is 1/11/24, 1:09 PM (PST)
@Derf - Doesn't look like a roll pin to me- looks like the so-called "bolt" is simply a short piece of round bar stock with a head which is a larger diameter than the bar itself. The bar stock would have a small hole drilled through it near the end,…
@Sven- Hello therre- I am using the term "cotter pin" very loosely, as many people are familiar with that term. The actual bolt/pin setup on the 737 appears to be a part designed specifically for that application.
Well yes... perhaps the most impressive part is how they get the "bolt" through the hole since the bolt "head" is bigger than the bolt hole. (Picky, picky... it really is a decent graphic.)
Yes, it's sort of a dark silver colored piece- very short. The actual bolt has a small hole drilled through the end, and the locking (cotter?) pin is then pushed through that hole and typically bent a little to prevent it's sliding out again. It's s…
FYI: There is an updated report explaining the design and location of the so-called "bolts" that lock the door plug into position on the Boeing 737 Max-9.situation in the Off-Topic section.
Check my last post in that thread for the explanation.
T…
OK, finally this morning's Wall Street Journal (print edition) had a decent diagram and explanation regarding the so-called "bolts" that lock the door plug into position. But I can't find that anywhere in the WSJ on-line version, so I can't reproduc…
@hank- Well I did speculate a bit on that, above:
Well, this is really getting interesting, no? Let's see now... "This airplane seems to be doing something weird with the pressurization... maybe we better not send it out over the ocean... but I gues…
Our place on the Russian River has a small dock that our neighbors use to try for Steelhead trout, a local salmonid. I don't fish myself, but we've eaten some delicious fresh steelhead dinners when the fishermen have enough to share. I've seen some …
The Supremes tried to duck this one by sending it back down to the Appeals Court. Looks like it's being bounced right back upstairs to them with no time wasted.
Above, I've added a new graphic from the New York Times which purports to illustrate the location of the mysterious "bolts" which are receiving so much interest. However this new information only seems to muddy the waters even more.
It would be nice if when "management" moves a thread that they simply give us a short note within the thread as to why. At least we'd all have a better idea of what's going on. It's called "communication", folks. :)
And yet more on this, from The Washington Post:
The door plug that blew out of an Alaska Airlines flight over Portland, Ore., on Friday has been found in a schoolteacher’s backyard, amid investigations into the explosive depressurization accident th…
1/8: From PBS: Diagram of Boeing "Door Plug" and associated hardware fittings
1/9: From The New York Times: Partial Diagram of Boeing "Door Plug" and associated hardware fittings
Note that the NY Times diagram identifies two fittings as "Lo…
I have to say that if (at this time) over 140 of you have looked at this post and only one of you has been able to help, then I don't feel nearly as stupid as I did when I asked for help on this.
"the optional door/exit area was "sealed"/"plugged" in this model? So, was that construction glue that didn't hold? "
Most likely this whole thing will come down to one of the following situations:
• 1) The design and specification of the fuselage…
"Has man ever invented anything that wasn’t eventually turned to illegal, evil or destructive use?"
@hank - I'm still thinking about that... not doing too good.
