Originally Posted by
737 Driver
Why indeed?
Let me answer a question with a question.
Are you more interesting in bitching or saving lives?
Sorry to put it so bluntly, but really that is what it comes down to. I've already answered this query, but let me state it again. There was a chain of causation in these accidents. That chain consisted of the following:
1. Lapses at Boeing
2. Lapses at the FAA and other certificate authorities
3. At least in the case of Lion Air, lapses in the maintenance/logistics area.
4. Lapses within the airlines in terms of education, training, policies, and culture.
5. Lapses in flight crew member actions
Granted, some may have a different list, but this mine for moment. Now let me ask very pointedly, if the goal is to increase the safety of our operations and prevent future accidents, which item on this list do we, as front line operators, have the most power to effect?
I don't care how insightful or detailed of analysis anyone on this forum could come up with on items 1 thru 3, the chance of it making any difference is essentially zero. It might make you feel better in some respects, but it will not change a thing. Maybe, if the right people are paying attention here, we could have an impact on item 4. However, if the motivation is truly to improve safety and save lives, item 5 is where we ought to spend our time.
As I've said, you can't solve a problem until you recognize a problem exists. I'm sorry if in the course of defining the problem it appears that we are "eating our own," but that is not the intent.
BTW, doesn't it really bug you how Boeing, the FAA, and the airlines try to be all mushy-mouth in saying that they really didn't screw things up? Of course they did!
Why don't they just admit it and get on with fixing their problems?!
That is a very good question indeed.
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My answer to the question would be that apportioning blame is a second order to actually determining the cause/reason the planes crashed. Isn't the one inescapable fact that had those planes been earlier models the dead would still be alive? You can argue that the pilots should/ ought to have been capable of handling the problem that they were faced with, but again in aviation as for cars technology trend towards increased safety. To me a lowly PAX maybe, but one who is still capable of analysing facts, nothing about the MCAS introduction says increased safety, rather a crude fix