Alaska Airlines 737-900 MAX loses a door in-flight out of PDX
As the lap joint does not match that of the aircraft I 'wrongly' presumed it was a template, can see the odd positioning rivet along near edge.
I wonder how many commentators have cut an aircraft skin and with what?
Back in the early days of redux skin de-lamination repairs, we used skin knives to cut the outer skin and even small rotary blades in windy drills for through cuts, back in 1971 I would have loved the jig saw he is using but electric powered tools are a no no on maintenance aircraft.
(my experience Vanguard to Merchantman conversion and heavy maintenance).
I wonder how many commentators have cut an aircraft skin and with what?
Back in the early days of redux skin de-lamination repairs, we used skin knives to cut the outer skin and even small rotary blades in windy drills for through cuts, back in 1971 I would have loved the jig saw he is using but electric powered tools are a no no on maintenance aircraft.
(my experience Vanguard to Merchantman conversion and heavy maintenance).
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I know its a jigsaw with no blade that isnt even plugged in (and hopefully with the seat covered in tape) but I think he is probably pretending its a rivet gun of some sort. I mean would you give this guy the real thing?
edit: sorry just read the article he actually is pretending to cut a hole...which to me is worse as its actually trying to imply he really is cutting a hole in the side of an aircraft like that
edit: sorry just read the article he actually is pretending to cut a hole...which to me is worse as its actually trying to imply he really is cutting a hole in the side of an aircraft like that
Last edited by incompleteness; 2nd Feb 2024 at 15:31. Reason: Spelling
As the lap joint does not match that of the aircraft I 'wrongly' presumed it was a template, can see the odd positioning rivet along near edge.
I wonder how many commentators have cut an aircraft skin and with what?
Back in the early days of redux skin de-lamination repairs, we used skin knives to cut the outer skin and even small rotary blades in windy drills for through cuts, back in 1971 I would have loved the jig saw he is using but electric powered tools are a no no on maintenance aircraft.
(my experience Vanguard to Merchantman conversion and heavy maintenance).
I wonder how many commentators have cut an aircraft skin and with what?
Back in the early days of redux skin de-lamination repairs, we used skin knives to cut the outer skin and even small rotary blades in windy drills for through cuts, back in 1971 I would have loved the jig saw he is using but electric powered tools are a no no on maintenance aircraft.
(my experience Vanguard to Merchantman conversion and heavy maintenance).
My favourite, how many cutting edges does a standard twist drill have?
That saw is a Bosch Blue Professional, and whether he is actually doing anything, look at the cut below the tool and the man's jacket sleeve.
Per
Per
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https://www.northerntool.com/product...-ts-500i-63965
RIP N182UA. https://www.airliners.net/photo/Unti...47-422/7116763
Kudos to the armchair investigators!
An article in the Washington Post (paywall) reports that pax are being especially attentive to safety, in the wake of recent events.
Extract:
In these trying times for Brand B, the SLF can lend a hand. Illustration from the article:
Extract:
Flight emergencies have turned some fliers into armchair investigators.
Passengers are on high alert, tracking flight paths, spotting missing bolts and questioning “duct” tape on planes.
Social media is full of complaints from airline passengers — dirty seats, barefoot neighbors, reclining chairs, waiting for hours on the tarmac. But sometimes, they take on a more nervous tone.
What is that strange noise? Is that smoke? Why is someone putting tape on the plane? Are screws missing on that wing?
While a “see something, say something” approach to terror threats has been the norm for decades, travelers often raise the alarm for anything they find out of the ordinary. That’s especially true in the wake of the Alaska Airlines incident on Jan. 5, when a door plug blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9.
Though all 177 passengers and crew survived, the incident has renewed concerns about the safety of 737 Max aircraft. The airliner was grounded in 2019 for nearly two years after two fatal Max 8 crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia that killed 346 people.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the Alaska incident and has focused on whether key bolts designed to hold the door in place were properly installed. And while the independent agency has yet to release its preliminary findings, the Federal Aviation Administration has already launched an audit of Boeing 737 Max production line and increased scrutiny of the plane maker.
But all the talk of loose or missing bolts has made any potential visible issue with an airplane top of mind for many fliers. Already, a surprising number of travelers think they could swoop in and safely land a passenger plane in an emergency. And there are more tools than ever for passengers to monitor their flights, track the type of plane they’re flying, notice when things go awry and even listen to conversations between pilots and air traffic controllers — as well as ways to spread that information widely.
“A lot of angst out there in the populace,” said Kathleen Bangs, a former commercial airline pilot and spokesperson for the flight tracking site FlightAware. She said the site is seeing an interest in people searching types of aircraft, and Max 9 planes in particular. Travel booking site Kayak said usage of its 737 Max filter on flight searches increased 15-fold after the Alaska Airlines incident.
Passengers are on high alert, tracking flight paths, spotting missing bolts and questioning “duct” tape on planes.
Social media is full of complaints from airline passengers — dirty seats, barefoot neighbors, reclining chairs, waiting for hours on the tarmac. But sometimes, they take on a more nervous tone.
What is that strange noise? Is that smoke? Why is someone putting tape on the plane? Are screws missing on that wing?
While a “see something, say something” approach to terror threats has been the norm for decades, travelers often raise the alarm for anything they find out of the ordinary. That’s especially true in the wake of the Alaska Airlines incident on Jan. 5, when a door plug blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9.
Though all 177 passengers and crew survived, the incident has renewed concerns about the safety of 737 Max aircraft. The airliner was grounded in 2019 for nearly two years after two fatal Max 8 crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia that killed 346 people.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the Alaska incident and has focused on whether key bolts designed to hold the door in place were properly installed. And while the independent agency has yet to release its preliminary findings, the Federal Aviation Administration has already launched an audit of Boeing 737 Max production line and increased scrutiny of the plane maker.
But all the talk of loose or missing bolts has made any potential visible issue with an airplane top of mind for many fliers. Already, a surprising number of travelers think they could swoop in and safely land a passenger plane in an emergency. And there are more tools than ever for passengers to monitor their flights, track the type of plane they’re flying, notice when things go awry and even listen to conversations between pilots and air traffic controllers — as well as ways to spread that information widely.
“A lot of angst out there in the populace,” said Kathleen Bangs, a former commercial airline pilot and spokesperson for the flight tracking site FlightAware. She said the site is seeing an interest in people searching types of aircraft, and Max 9 planes in particular. Travel booking site Kayak said usage of its 737 Max filter on flight searches increased 15-fold after the Alaska Airlines incident.
pax are being especially attentive to safety
One feature I would like to see, but don't fly enough to know about anymore, is whether the aisle armrests can still be released as that alone is a huge benefit in an evacuation. Not having to go contortionist over that damn thing when simply exiting is a huge benefit.
How about staying belted in as much as possible?
One feature I would like to see, but don't fly enough to know about anymore, is whether the aisle armrests can still be released as that alone is a huge benefit in an evacuation. Not having to go contortionist over that damn thing when simply exiting is a huge benefit.
One feature I would like to see, but don't fly enough to know about anymore, is whether the aisle armrests can still be released as that alone is a huge benefit in an evacuation. Not having to go contortionist over that damn thing when simply exiting is a huge benefit.
With ref to the cargo conversion pictures, Back in the early 90's my company had the contract to do major's on a couple of B747 freighters owned by an American company. The l/h rear main deck cargo door conversion wasn't done by Boeing but by another company. There were rumours that the conversion hadn't been approved by Boeing, don't know how it got approval to fly if that was the case. Anyway the owners must have had suspicions that everything wasn't OK with the conversion because they wanted x-rays of the doubler plates and internal structure above the door hinge line. The x-rays showed lots of missing fasteners, redundant fastener holes not filled and shims and fillers not fitted. Got a lot of overtime from that job.
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Fight originating from PHX:
"... In the event of a water landing, [slight emphasis] on our flight to Los Angeles, your seat cushion can be used for flotation ..."
The injuries from being unbelted during severe turbulence or an upset are usually severe. Broken bones, concussions, lacerations to the head, or worse. FAs always get the short straw. I keep that belt on, comfortably secure, unless I'm up and about for some reason.
Observation - operators in North America seem to be far more conservative about keeping the seatbelt sign illuminated relative to the rest of the world - often annoyingly such. Since my prostate cancer treatments about seven years ago, sometimes I absolutely have to go, and need to ignore the seatbelt sign. Once, close to an hour after takeoff, the seatbelt sign was still on but it became so urgent I didn't have a choice. As I passed the FA entering the lav, she started to say something and I simply looked at her and said "Prostate". She gave me a somewhat sympathetic smile and nodded...
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I can't understand why people undo their seatbelts the instant the sign goes off. It compares to the refusal to wear masks in the Covid crisis. I guess it is something to do with personal freedom, even when it goes against all logic.
Well, as current events in American politics will tell you, a large fraction of society abhors logic, and might not even be capable of spelling it.