Getting these planes from the factory with loose bolts is pretty inexcusable. Boeing’s really fallen far. Kind of crazy that the airline has to go double check that the brand new plane they got from the manufacturer is actually put together properly.
I have known Boeing workers, I called them friends. My friends would tell me how stressful each bolt and rivet can be. Like you have to sign off on all your work, every screw. I don’t know what that environment is like now, but in years past those workers took high pride in their work. And the executives were the ones that caused the problems with their work.
The FAA is one of the few agencies that still has teeth. They will likely hold Boeing’s feet to the fire because the buck stops with them. I worked for a smaller aircraft manufacturer, and if we outsourced parts that failed, saying “oh it was the other company’s fault” would not be a valid excuse for the FAA. There would still be investigations into our practices, questions about why we didn’t have adequate inspections to verify the parts when they came in, and reviews into our vendor vetting processes. Any fines or disciplinary action would fall on us, not just the negligent outside company. Because at the end of the day, if we hired a negligent company that produced inferior parts, then WE were being negligent.
That said, bigger companies have a lot of connections and sway at the FAA and can do a lot that smaller companies can’t. But with all the repeated issues and bad press, I’m leaning towards Boeing getting raked over the coals.
There are only two government agencies you should never fuck with; the IRS and the FAA. The FDA used to be on that list, but they’ve fallen a bit to regulatory capture in recent years.
Getting these planes from the factory with loose bolts is pretty inexcusable. Boeing’s really fallen far. Kind of crazy that the airline has to go double check that the brand new plane they got from the manufacturer is actually put together properly.
I have known Boeing workers, I called them friends. My friends would tell me how stressful each bolt and rivet can be. Like you have to sign off on all your work, every screw. I don’t know what that environment is like now, but in years past those workers took high pride in their work. And the executives were the ones that caused the problems with their work.
Yaya. I feel like a pretty dramatic shift in how Boeing designs, builds, and signs off on things really has to come from the top first
It’s all subcontracted out now to limit liability, and the workers are understaffed
The FAA is one of the few agencies that still has teeth. They will likely hold Boeing’s feet to the fire because the buck stops with them. I worked for a smaller aircraft manufacturer, and if we outsourced parts that failed, saying “oh it was the other company’s fault” would not be a valid excuse for the FAA. There would still be investigations into our practices, questions about why we didn’t have adequate inspections to verify the parts when they came in, and reviews into our vendor vetting processes. Any fines or disciplinary action would fall on us, not just the negligent outside company. Because at the end of the day, if we hired a negligent company that produced inferior parts, then WE were being negligent.
That said, bigger companies have a lot of connections and sway at the FAA and can do a lot that smaller companies can’t. But with all the repeated issues and bad press, I’m leaning towards Boeing getting raked over the coals.
There are only two government agencies you should never fuck with; the IRS and the FAA. The FDA used to be on that list, but they’ve fallen a bit to regulatory capture in recent years.