Why is it that any accident involving a european built airliner results in calls of "ground them" when Boeings, apparently, should just fly on?
I am thinking of the two hull losses caused by rudder hard overs on B737, a near hull loss caused by structural failure on an Aloha 737 and two hull losses caused by fuel pumps catching fire (TWA 800 747 and a Thai 737). And if anyone syas "but Boeing say the rudder hardover does not exist" I know that BA had at least one and Boeing also chose to redesign it for the NG model. So why redesign if it is OK?
These are just a few which come to mind - but this is (as best I can tell) the first airbus crash in which structural failure MAY have contributed - the majority of the rest are "operator error".
So lets get it straight guys - if the FAA are happy to let Boeing operators risk pax lives while they have a long slow think about rudder hardover and fuel pumps, why the call to ground the Airbus? protectionism that's why. And I don't care if it's non-PC to say so, it's true.