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-   -   Downfall the case against Boeing (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/major/136744-downfall-case-against-boeing.html)

SonicFlyer 03-20-2022 06:03 AM


Originally Posted by Vito (Post 3386759)
It was also produced by Rory Kennedy, RFK’s granddaughter. So not too political..Surprise DeFazio is portrayed as a hero defending innocent passengers from the evil Boeing company. It’s also no surprise that the woke Kennedy never mentions or places a smidgeon of blame on the pilots. BTW if you think “Downfall” was missing key points or didn’t include certain facts,, DO NOT read this book. “Flying Blind” by Peter Robison. A total hit piece on Boeing and every Republican lawmaker and Presidents. His socialist leanings are evident from the very beginning of the book, and his technical knowledge is pathetic. He actually writes about torquing a rivet!

Exactly what I was wondering about... propaganda in disguise. Thanks for the honest review.

Nordhavn 03-21-2022 06:55 AM


Originally Posted by EyeKantEven (Post 3376785)
I blame it on the high bypass turbofans: The '73 was designed for straight pipes and has been fudged (quite successfully) since the Classic series. But these LEAP engines gave Airbus a HUGE advantage because there was room under the 320 wings for 'em. Those big-ass fans. The "-1B" engines themselves are a compromise vs the "-1A" -- (9:1 vs 11:1 bypass ratio).

The icing on the cake was the constraint that the MAX must be common type -- at all cost: clean sheet was not an option because of development time and another $10B or so in costs.

The huge enabler? The FAA delegating verification of certification requirements to Boeing. The hen guarding the foxhouse.

Boeing will either clean up its act out of pure survival instinct or they will be mainly a defense contractor. The idea that the FAA will provide appropriate oversight is laughable. Boeing to the FAA is akin to Pfizer and the FDA. Most government oversight bodies are corrupted by incompetent political appointees at the leadership levels.

avi8orco 03-21-2022 07:02 AM

Just what Boeing doesn’t need

https://www.foxnews.com/world/china-...people-crashes

Wasn't a MAX, -8NG. Dive straight into the ground from cruise, Smells like might be another Gemanwings thing to me.

rickair7777 03-21-2022 05:44 PM


Originally Posted by Nordhavn (Post 3392478)
Boeing will either clean up its act out of pure survival instinct or they will be mainly a defense contractor. The idea that the FAA will provide appropriate oversight is laughable. Boeing to the FAA is akin to Pfizer and the FDA. Most government oversight bodies are corrupted by incompetent political appointees at the leadership levels.

Probably true. Gov regulators are invariably over-matched by private industry.

WHACKMASTER 03-21-2022 08:03 PM

Just watched it. Overall well done. It definitely documented in a very damning way the shift in culture at Boeing after the MD marriage.

It also documented very effectively the campaign by Boeing to keep the MAX a common type with no additional sim training (this they were adamant about per internal documents).

What the documentary didn’t go into AT ALL was the mishandling of the emergencies by the pilots of both MAXes. So yes, all of the blame was placed on Boeing.

JamesNoBrakes 03-21-2022 08:15 PM


Originally Posted by Nordhavn (Post 3392478)
Boeing will either clean up its act out of pure survival instinct or they will be mainly a defense contractor. The idea that the FAA will provide appropriate oversight is laughable. Boeing to the FAA is akin to Pfizer and the FDA. Most government oversight bodies are corrupted by incompetent political appointees at the leadership levels.

Congress mandated the FAA to designate ODAs (self-certification), like at Boeing. In my experience the agencies are often cut off at the knees by either funding or mandates like this which keep them from carrying out the mission.

rickair7777 03-21-2022 08:23 PM


Originally Posted by WHACKMASTER (Post 3392876)
What the documentary didn’t go into AT ALL was the mishandling of the emergencies by the pilots of both MAXes. So yes, all of the blame was placed on Boeing.

Yes, but the US union leader in the video didn't think that ten seconds was enough time, even for US pilots. I tend to agree, there was a lot of stuff going on associated with the failure and the trim wheel motion was not continuous, therefor harder to spot as a runaway. I'd say less likely to happen in the US, but not safe.

Also, BCA lost track of exactly *who* they were selling planes to. Airbus never had that problem, they always had low expectations.

9mikemike 03-22-2022 02:48 AM


Originally Posted by rickair7777 (Post 3392882)
Yes, but the US union leader in the video didn't think that ten seconds was enough time, even for US pilots. I tend to agree, there was a lot of stuff going on associated with the failure and the trim wheel motion was not continuous, therefor harder to spot as a runaway. I'd say less likely to happen in the US, but not safe.

Also, BCA lost track of exactly *who* they were selling planes to. Airbus never had that problem, they always had low expectations.

Having had an insidious runaway trim in the 737 I can say that if you are engaged with the airplane it is absolutely obvious right away…What did them both in was not so much the mis handling of the runaway trim but leaving the thrust at take off setting and allowing the airplane to grossly exceed Vmax. At 200 kts(clean maneuver speed approx) they could have easily overcome the runaway trim..

WHACKMASTER 03-22-2022 04:15 AM


Originally Posted by 9mikemike (Post 3392925)
Having had an insidious runaway trim in the 737 I can say that if you are engaged with the airplane it is absolutely obvious right away…What did them both in was not so much the mis handling of the runaway trim but leaving the thrust at take off setting and allowing the airplane to grossly exceed Vmax. At 200 kts(clean maneuver speed approx) they could have easily overcome the runaway trim..

Yup agreed. For all of you non-737 aviators out there, don’t forget that we have the exposed trim wheels that make a lot of commotion when the trim is running. Granted there was a lot of other commotion for these poor crews during their emergencies but I’d like to think that more experienced crews would have had a better chance of making it out successfully.

Texasbound 03-22-2022 07:29 AM


Originally Posted by rickair7777 (Post 3392882)
Yes, but the US union leader in the video didn't think that ten seconds was enough time, even for US pilots. I tend to agree, there was a lot of stuff going on associated with the failure and the trim wheel motion was not continuous, therefor harder to spot as a runaway. I'd say less likely to happen in the US, but not safe.

Also, BCA lost track of exactly *who* they were selling planes to. Airbus never had that problem, they always had low expectations.

So, if a Fire Warning goes off when taking off at 120 knots and there are any other lights or alarms go off you are just going to hack the clock and wait for more than 10 seconds to do anything? No, you will immediately react, because that is what you were trained to do. Pilots should be trained to deal with emergencies. Even complicated ones, 10 seconds is an eternity. Even after 10 seconds with the MCAS trim runaways the main electric pitch trim switches still worked and would override MCAS. Yeah, then it would run again, but trim it back out... that is what the Captain in the Lion Air crash did, several times. If the FO had done the same the crash would not have happened. In the Ethiopian crash if either pilot had used the main electric trim for more than 2 seconds they would have been fine as well. The whole reason pilots ALPA want 2 trained pilots sitting in the front, is to fly the plane when it is broken. That is our job.

Love how people praise AB for devaluing our job as pilots. We will just build an airplane that does everything for you and will give you a tray table so you have something to do. However, last I checked, pilots have still figured out how to crash AB aircraft.


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