737 Max $25 billion hit to Boeing "Biggest corporate blunder ever"
 

Apparently all because somebody thought it would be a good idea to outsource programming and minimise the matter in ops manuals?

Surely didn't cut costs.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/17/b...ost/index.html

Please do tell us who this "somebody" was.

Mr. Bean-Counter

Considering the loss of life and the misery caused to thousands, I'd say they got off light. A long dose of prison life for those responsible would have been a better (though unlikely) outcome.

The bad thing is that they wasted the budget that would have been needed for some successor.

macdo

i agree with you. as it turns out only 1 person lost their job over this fiasco.

Less Hair

Nah... Would have gone into stock repurchase and optiosn. Why think long term when one can get paid handsomely short term ?!

Green light for RTS.

https://www.faa.gov/regulations_poli...mentID/1038501

Any loss of life is regrettable, but to call it the "biggest corporate blunder ever" is a tad much. What about Bhopal where nearly 4,000 lost their lives. Or even 'The Titanic'. I always think it's quite ironic that they have Titanic themes bars and make it out that it's something to be celebrated!.

Chas2019

You don't have a clue of what your talking about.

BP: So, $25 billion eh? Y'all want me to carry on holding this beer Mr Boeing?

"Apparently all because somebody thought it would be a good idea to outsource programming and minimise the matter in ops manuals?"

Much worse than simply outsourcing. Organizational culture issue.

Clowns and monkeys played a role. Sad.

"Surely didn't cut costs."

Sound lesson to bean counters as PIC and engineers merely PF's.

Spooky 2

Can you give us a hint? Were there some more heads rolling? Scapegoats or those who deserved it?

25 Bliion $ biggest corporate blunder ever? Ask Volkswagen! Their "Dieselgate" has cost them close to 35 Billion $ so far and it's far from over...

@ Less Hair

"The bad thing is that they wasted the budget that would have been needed for some successor."

And the chinese virus completes the R&D outlook

hoistop

I don;t feel that I should respond to this request for information, and I do not have all the ugly the details, but I can asure you people were quietly shown the door within the last six months, if not before. This of course is not to mention the thousands of employees that have lost their jobs from the combination of the MAX debacle, and Covid 19.

I’m surprised it took this long to be honest.

It’s a 1960’s, 30 tonne first generation jet that has been patched and superglued for 60 years.

The NG has fundamental issues too. A woeful overhead panel, thrust-pitch couple problems, under engine clearance issues, an elevator which is vastly undersized, tail strike susceptibility because they refused to lengthen the gear, a trim wheel that spins like it’s on crack but still takes inordinate amounts of time to move from stop to stop, the STS system... it goes on and on.

They just got lucky with the NG that the problems weren’t exposed earlier.

I fly the NG, and it has a certain level of charm, but if you’ve come from well designed aircraft previously, you can see it should have been retired to the scrap heap 30 years ago.

Boeing have learnt that cheapest option is never the cheapest option.

During the 787 introduction debacle, Joe Sutter (the original 747 designer) asked what the hell was going on at Boeing.
He wondered how a bunch of computer wizards could have made such a stuff-up and taken so long to rectify expensive errors, when decades before, his team introduced a revolutionary aircraft in record time, using slide rules!

There were inevitable issues for such a groundbreaking aircraft but they worked the problem and sorted it.

The 787 wasn’t that revolutionary but was a mess and you’d think the powers that be would’ve then learnt from their errors. However this warmed-over 1960’s rebranded Max aircraft is even less revolutionary and even more of a catastrophe!

Much like the lack of leadership/accountability being demonstrated by the outgoing US President, the heads of Boeing need to take charge like proper leaders should. They should stop passing the buck and take ownership to make sure this avoidable disaster never, ever happens again.

Poor old Joe would be rolling in his grave.

Is it really?