Maybe, Maybe Not
Quote from Pitts:
"Surely it would be good for the industry and customer if it were the AAIB that were leading this test and giving direction to EC, which one can only assume they are not given the comments from EC on their expectations."
One of the remembered quotes from a John Wayne movie:
" That"ll be the day"
Whether it is the staff of the NTSB chasing the 787 battery problem or the AAIB chasing this one, those people are investigators, not design/ redesign engineers, nor are they experienced ground or flight test engineers. The talent to do the detailed technical analyses rests with the OEM, and in cases, the subs. The talent to formulate a corrective redesign rests with the OEM.
If I sound a bit firm on the subject, it stems from having been involved in just a few accident post mortems, and in every one, the " real work " split went as in the preceding paragraph. That is not a denigration of the AAIB or NTSB, but simply a recognition of the differing responsibilities. The media has certainly not got it yet.
Better make a correction: since my experience is with military and NTSB investigations, it would be incorrect to assert from my experience that the AAIB is in the same situation and acts similarly.
Last edited by JohnDixson; 14th Feb 2013 at 01:44.