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More misdrilled holes on 737 MAX in latest setback

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Re: More misdrilled holes on 737 MAX in latest setback

#161
post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah yes the fantasy that an IC can just magic this all away. This would likely result in a CEO with no pull and a CFO that had all the hard power to call the shots. The reality seems to be, for some reason, building profitable and safe planes in America is becoming increasingly difficult. A company most be able to do both: build a quality and safe product and make a margin. It can’t exist without revenue. I’m guessing…

No matter how profitable building good planes is, building slightly worse planes that are bought in equal numbers is more profitable. The profit maximizing move is to lower quality until sales suffer more than profitability is increased. And if you have a strong reputation, and feedback cycles on product quality are long, lower quality might take a long time to actually be noticeable in sales. Boeing profits and sale…

At least they get to blame it on COVID. The real benchmark is relative to Airbus.

Re: More misdrilled holes on 737 MAX in latest setback

#162
post #158
post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No matter how profitable building good planes is, building slightly worse planes that are bought in equal numbers is more profitable. The profit maximizing move is to lower quality until sales suffer more than profitability is increased. And if you have a strong reputation, and feedback cycles on product quality are long, lower quality might take a long time to actually be noticeable in sales. Boeing profits and sale…

The trick is building worse planes may result in future costs to fix the problems. It's much less costly to bolt the door plug in before it falls out.

They got so lucky with that one.

Re: More misdrilled holes on 737 MAX in latest setback

#163
post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’ll be happy to learn that Boeing and Airbus have roughly equivalent safety records. If you wish to fly safely, fly in countries and on airlines that observe stricter requirements on pilot training, rest, and CRM, and which are rigorous about maintaining their planes.

Which can basically be translated as avoid (especially) Africa, South East Asia (that isn't Japan or South Korea), and most of South America. Eastern Europe is a dodgy but no on the same level.

neither Japan nor South Korea are South East Asia

Re: More misdrilled holes on 737 MAX in latest setback

#164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was arguably under Muilenberg, an engineer, that many of the current issues with Boeing's culture were either created or allowed to flourish. I think it is "frequently framed" as an engineers-vs-accountants thing by engineers or others who like to think that STEM people can do no wrong.

I am an engineee of sorts, and have zero illusions about the shit engineers can cause, and do.

I think the real problem here is over-reliance on cost-savings as a single dimension of quality.

Re: More misdrilled holes on 737 MAX in latest setback

#165

I do get the impression that the current Boeing CEO is attempting to turn the culture around, to a more "admit the problem and fix it" kind of attitude. The problem is that, if you are doing this after many years of "deny the problem and ship it", the number of apparent problems is actually going to go up for a while. I wonder if Boeing's customers and shareholders will have enough patience for him to complete the tr…

Boeing needs to dump the CEO and install someone from an engineering lineage if they want to build their reputation back. An engineering company run by a longtime manager with a background in accounting is in large part how Boeing got here. Fire the guy and get someone with a technical background in there.

I think you think Boeing's purpose in life is to make planes. I think it's primary objective is to make money for execs and short term traders. If airplanes come out of the company, it's a random side-effect.

Re: More misdrilled holes on 737 MAX in latest setback

#166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Boeing needs to dump the CEO and install someone from an engineering lineage if they want to build their reputation back. An engineering company run by a longtime manager with a background in accounting is in large part how Boeing got here. Fire the guy and get someone with a technical background in there.

I don't think having an engineer as a leader is some golden ticket to success. Its ultimately what ruined Nortel for example.

That wasn't the only thing that ruined Nortel, but it sure as heck didn't save them.

Re: More misdrilled holes on 737 MAX in latest setback

#167
post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re right, the goals were in a stupid place to begin with. I see no honest reason in the scope of this discussion to make this distinction. The regionals expand the network of the majors, it’s not like they overlap. People buy and use these services just like the major airlines. The distinction is interesting in the context of comparing the relative safety of the regionals but in a discussion about general airline…

My lack of including that flight was a mistake. I was unaware that Comair was operating as a subsidiary of Delta. Still, it doesn’t really change the upshot. No manufacturer was at fault here. And even if you include this flight in the data, flying in the U.S. is safer than any other form of travel. I chose to limit it to airlines operating in the U.S. due to our generally higher expectations around maintenance, pilo…

> Still, it doesn’t really change the upshot

Indeed it does not, which made the omission more strange or innocent. What was ridiculous was the apologia subthread.

> small tourism operators who are often far less rigorous in their safety practices, with relatively low-hour pilots.

There have been some improvements (in part due to these accidents) but this isn’t so far off from the regionals which was definitely a factor in both Comair and Colgan.

But crucially the majors are going to sell you a connecting ticket on them like any other, and they code share and mile just the same. Many of them are wholly owned to boot.

Re: More misdrilled holes on 737 MAX in latest setback

#168

Break. Them. Up. This is a concern of national security at the highest level. Boeing needs the Standard Oil treatment, which was a net positive for everyone involved.

That's actually exactly the wrong thing to do. The problem, at least in this case, is that Boeing chose to break off what is now known as Spirit Aerosystems into a separate entity, and now Spirit has Boeing by the balls because Boeing can't replace them and has to deal with the consequences of their shitty manufacturing and QC.

Nah, we just need to break them up along the vertical: decapitate the company, and let the engineers run it again.

Re: More misdrilled holes on 737 MAX in latest setback

#169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I said this in a previous thread, a QA/QC/SOP firm either has a culture where nobody would dare violate SOP or it doesn’t. It’s not about “admitting” a problem, they already have the SOPs and inspection protocols that reveal defects and proscribe ways to identify, document and address any defect. But as the QA guys where I work say, they are a cost center. There are two real questions here, can Boeing strictly follow…

> they already have the SOPs and inspection protocols that reveal defects and proscribe ways to identify, document and address any defect it's great to have those protocols, but when employees are retaliated against for bringing issues with no corrective changes made, what's the point in having the protocols?

Any of that happens at the supervisor or mid-level manager level and should be taken to HR. By complying with bullying, the employees are not only committing a federal crime, they also risk being debarred by the FAA. That means they no longer work in the Aviation Industry.

Re: More misdrilled holes on 737 MAX in latest setback

#170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am an engineee of sorts, and have zero illusions about the shit engineers can cause, and do.

I think the real problem here is over-reliance on cost-savings as a single dimension of quality.

Cost savings and quality live on different scales so.
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