Errrrrrr, I think some posters here need to take a deep breath and relax for a while.
I doubt that Boeing's design is fundamentally flawed on the basis of the number of aircraft successfully flying day after day with a similar flap end stop arrangement.
Furthermore, its not really a "bolt" just because it has a head on one end and a nut on the other, it's really a pin in shear.
If it was not attached to what it was supposed to be attached to, then either some component part of it has failed or something wasn't done right in maintenance or overhaul - which could be for all sorts of reasons - and the thing has detached.
It's rather premature to sheet this home to Boeing or anyone else for that matter, let alone predict lawsuits and eventual winners and losers.
Thank goodness no one was seriously injured. Alls well that ends well, it's only money and the plane was no doubt insured. At least the Firey's got a real test of their equipment and procedures out of it
