"CNC" by any other name...
A "riveting" read, knowing that the QA team got the bullet.
http://timtate.co.uk/wp-content/uplo...st-21-2000.pdf
P.S.: I'm not anti Boeing, they have made good planes, but they are a monolithic corporation and have the ethics as seen in the Airforce KC fiasco. Success breeds contempt. Airbus makes good planes too, have their own issues but overall they have a good product line up against TBC. (Airbus manuals suck too)
The ring frame issue was not trivial; the parts are primary structure that were given an increase in life and reduction in inspection due to being CNC fabrications... A number of accidents of NG's involved these aircraft, and curiously most of them have fractured their hulls at the same location, the joints of the fuselage, when one would imagine that would be a strong point. Not aware that any AD of MSB was ever issued to replace the frames with proper conformed articles. At least they will only be flying for the next 50 years or so.