Latest Boeing News
 

Source https://www.theguardian.com/business...igation-report and https://www.reuters.com/business/aer...ts-2024-04-09/

More of the same: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/09/u...le-blower.html

Could people heading to the press about problems include specific detail about what the shortcut was and what they believe the effect of it to be?

No doubts about some shortcut and no tolerance for them, but knowing the potential problem gives a bit more information for risk management. Is this "may allow a leak to develop at 10,000 landings" or "these should be grounded immediately?"

Complete "Agree" with MechEngr as to importance of knowing the particulars insofar as any engineering, manufacturing and production, and potentially certification, issues are concerned.

For the present, this SLF/attorney comments that the individual raising these concerns has engaged the services of a truly heavy-hitter attorney. Based only on press reports and absolutely no personal knowledge whatsoever, consider that Attorney Debra Katz, founding partner of Katz Banks Kumin in Washington, has already evidently driven extensive media and press coverage, and arranged for a spotlight appearance before Ccongress.

From the New York Times article: "Mr. Salehpour’s concerns are set to receive an airing on Capitol Hill. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut and the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s investigations subcommittee, is planning to hold a hearing with Mr. Salehpour on April 17. Mr. Blumenthal said he wanted the public to hear from the engineer firsthand.

'Repeated, shocking allegations about Boeing’s manufacturing failings point to an appalling absence of safety culture and practices — where profit is prioritized over everything else,' Mr. Blumenthal said in a statement." (internal quotation as in NYT article).

And, according to the law firm's website, Attorney Katz was "[r]ecognized by the Washington Post as 'the feared attorney of the #MeToo movement,' [and she] has been successfully litigating employment discrimination, civil rights, and whistleblower protection cases for nearly 40 years." (internal quotation as in original)

In my law firm years I had exactly one matter defending claims brought by a D.C. whistleblower legal specialist; there was pretty extensive use of press releases (it was circa 2006) and it was, in a word, a wild ride. (Health care field, not aviation, client). Based on all this, and discounting some for "politics", Boeing appears highly likely to be gettin' into some chop over this, I'll bet.

[proper form of law firm name corrected, WR 6-3]

And of course to balance the blood sucking lawyers viewpoint above… the 737 Max has smashed to pieces 346 people.

346 people are dead and unrecognisable due to Boeing mismanagement and failings. And that’s only until the next disaster.

Yes, I'd make the same bet. Katz's firm didn't take this case without being very confident that it has legs. Almost certainly, Salehpour doesn't have nearly deep enough pockets to pay for the level of representation that this will require, which means that Katz & Co. have probably agreed to fund it. And that means that they expect recovery under whistleblower statutes is likely.

Excuse me, but that slam on lawyers doesn't apply to yours truly. My interest in threads on this site isn't to be found in any form of pecuniary gain. You might take note, for example, of the extensive (totally voluntary and - happily - unpaid in any way) work I did on-thread, attempting to derail the unfair scapegoating prosecution of Forkner. I am NOT taking any credit for his being found not-guilty.... but it was the outcome for which I advocated in a good number of posts.

No apologist for Boeing here, and if you can point to even one single solitary post within the past 10 years on this forum where I have expressed a viewpoint intended to line my own or anyone else's pockets, do tell.

WR 6-3

I value your lawyerly perspective as it brings additional context to important issues. I hope you continue to contribute to this forum.

Good luck pal trying to taint the 777 which in 31 years of service has had 8 hull losses where all the deaths were due to either pilot error / input (Asiana SFO, MH370) or external factors (SAM hit over the Ukraine). Zero deaths due to Boeing defects. In terms of years in the sky, the safest plane (if we take into account no Boeing faults in the 3 death-related accidents)

Better have deep pockets for the slander lawsuits against you that will be forthcoming by Boeing - I am strictly referring to the 777 which I have intimate knowledge in.

Enjoy your 15' of fame pal
.

@ WR 6-3
" The dogs bark but the caravan pass by " ( Arab and French proverb) Do not pay too much attention , your input and legal remarks on this forum are highly appreciated as it gives another side perspective and brings knowledge most of us do not have. .

On the CNN web there is a quote from the whistleblower
If true and can be sustained by a video or by more witnesses , then this will become another nightmare for the Boeing PR team .
But it it is all made up to attract attention and cannot be sustained , then we enter another game .

Ok I’ll bite on this one.
iirc this incident involved the APFDS in a mode that would not provide speed protection. I’ve seen posters adorned to walls warning of the A/T speed trap. The use of the word TRAP is telling. I believe there is /was a mod to change the logic.
To simply say pilot error is somewhat simplistic imho.

Video is probably too much to ask. Other witnesses, yes. To confirm the whistleblowers credibility. But it sounds very specific - and terrible.

Another way: if he remembers the day it happened, maybe the airframe(s) can be identified and that particular part inspected for evidence?

Until the wreckage of MH370 is found, and the CVR and FDR analysed, you have no way of knowing what the cause of its disappearance was. The flight could have been down to pilot error, it could just as easily have been a sudden decompression which incapacitated the crew and the autopilot just kept on flying until it fell out of the sky.

A total red herring since he is talking about the 787, not the 777

On that train of thought, the A340 wins hands down, with no fatalities whatsoever in 33 years. And the A380 for example has not even had a single accident, with the exception of QF32.

And the 787 itself has had zero hull losses and zero fatal accidents / incidents in 15 years of service.

Not fatal but it had those battery fires early on.

I've read your posts for most of that decade and have never seen the slightest indication that you've done any such thing. You're a valuable contributor to these conversations.

Multiple news sources are reporting that the whistleblower is alleging problems with both the 787 and 777.

I thought the problem of 787 fuselage section mating tolerances was known and already addressed.