I worked in experiential. Engineers are people, they make mistakes and they aren't on the airplane. You are. There are people out there that can and will kill you and will go home after work.

I flew Maintenance Flight Test for American. Found the 707 300 series stalled before stick shaker. I was told I did not know how to stall a 707, I had stalled the 707 many times testing them.. Another American Test Pilot had it stall before stick shaker. American Test Pilots didn't know how to stall a 707. Boeing Test Pilots came to test the 707 and fell out of the sky with no stall warning. Turns out nearly 100 707 300s around the earth had been fitted with the 707 100 stall warning and they had been flying that way for 15 years.

I like Boeing a lot, but they are people, not geniuses and people make mistakes. You'll be the first to hit the ground. Demand to be heard and trust yourself, you'll likely find you know more about flying then the experts.

 

I understand that people are people, and the economics of business but what bothers me is the arrogance and condescendence when a product is found to be deficient.

Human life is becoming a dollar figure. And that seems initially cheaper than fixing a problematic product. AFAIK this attitude has been a (financial) disaster in the past.

That's why self regulation doesn't work. And this doesn't only apply to Boeing.

 

I believe your thinking is solid. There hasn't been an aircraft lost in the US in 20 years. That is something to be proud of, but I believe the industry is going down a dangerous path. I wish I had more answers then concerns.

 

That is not an accurate statement.

 

I thought 587 in New York was the last one. What one came after that?

 

Srsly? Comair, Lexington KY, Colgan , buffalo NY, UPS, Birmingham AL, Atlas prime air, Houston TX....just to name a few.

 

Buffalo, Houston, Somewhere this winter with a 145 in the snow to name a few!

 

Colgan Air 3407 and US Airways 1549. Both outcomes are a result of (lack of) pilot skills.

On a technical basis, you have the Southwest flight with the blown up engine that killed a pax (I was told by one of our AA check airmen that WN puts 3 or 4 times more hours on the engine before it gets overhauled).

 

I think for this discussion we need to divide the recent accidents into a technical (airplane sys) category vs. pilot skill category.

Edit: Just found this on another board... (nevermind)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...=.14f59e6a0943

 

I stand corrected. Pilots don't set out to kill themselves. Something caused those crashes.