Boeing 737 MAX family NEWS ONLY

[DWG]

strengthening Boeing's engineering culture

Of course that means weakening the grip of the central beancounter culture -- by the head beancounter. One trusts he is up to the challenge.

The irony is they're incentivizing him to stop management pressurizing the engineers because their bonuses depend on it by making his bonus depend on it.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Proposed US legislation aims to restore faith in aircraft certification

US senators have introduced a bill to Congress intended to reinforce safety and oversight, particularly with regards to certification, in the aftermath of the Boeing 737 Max grounding crisis. The proposed legislation, titled the Restoring Aviation Accountability act, has been submitted by...

www.flightglobal.com

 

[Moose]

strengthening Boeing's engineering culture

Of course that means weakening the grip of the central beancounter culture -- by the head beancounter. One trusts he is up to the challenge.

I feel like it's almost giving too much credit to the broken parts of their management to call it "beancounter culture." Some of their moves don't even make sense for someone supposedly obsessed with the bottom line.

 

[DWG]

Proposed US legislation aims to restore faith in aircraft certification

US senators have introduced a bill to Congress intended to reinforce safety and oversight, particularly with regards to certification, in the aftermath of the Boeing 737 Max grounding crisis. The proposed legislation, titled the Restoring Aviation Accountability act, has been submitted by...

www.flightglobal.com

"US-built aircraft would be prohibited from being sold to foreign airlines unless the state concerned is compliant with ICAO standards, as determined by international safety assessment programmes. "

That's radical.

"Granting of exemptions for use of non-motion training devices to replace full-motion simulators for validation and qualification would be prohibited, the bill adds. "

It's not entirely clear whether this is talking about engineering development, or pilot development. I'm not sure the argument is entirely valid for either case.

 

[steelpillow]

The only bit relevant to this thread is the review of MAX certification. Can we keep the rest out?

 

[Grey Havoc]

Past Strains Between Boeing, FAA Threaten MAX Simulator Plans

Plans to mandate simulator training for pilots before the grounded jet can return to service—a time-consuming and costly undertaking—could face a further complication: friction between the plane maker and U.S. officials.

www.wsj.com

 

[steelpillow]

For those of us without subscriptions, could somebody give a summary?

Past Strains Between Boeing, FAA Threaten MAX Simulator Plans

Plans to mandate simulator training for pilots before the grounded jet can return to service—a time-consuming and costly undertaking—could face a further complication: friction between the plane maker and U.S. officials.

www.wsj.com

 

[DWG]

FAA requires lightning protection inspections of 737 Max prior to flight

The Federal Aviation Administration intends to prohibit 737 Max flights until each aircraft undergoes inspections related to risks posed by lightning strikes.

www.flightglobal.com

inadequate “electrical bonding” of panels atop the 737 Max’s CFM International Leap-1B turbofans could allow a lightning strike to disable both the Max’s engines.

And separately

CFM to build 10 737 Max engines weekly for 2020

CFM International is expecting to produce an average of 10 Leap-1B engines - the powerplant for the Boeing 737 Max - per week over the course of 2020, out of a total annual Leap production of 1,400. The forecast has been disclosed by CFM partner Safran in its full-year financial ...

www.flightglobal.com

So 10 engines weekly, = 520 over the year, = 260 ship sets. Which, allowing for spares, roughly tallies with Spirit's contract for 216 fuselages.

Here’s How Many 737 MAX Jets Boeing Will Build in 2020

Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems struck a 737 MAX production deal on Thursday. The number planes being built will still drop from 2019.

www.barrons.com

If we assume Boeing will try to get back to 42 aircraft per month by the end of the year, and it'll have a couple of months at half that rate while it restarts the line and figures out if all the changes work, then we're looking at a production restart circa June. If they plan a lower rate, then it will be earlier. (While storing the engines wouldn't be too bad, storing large numbers of fuselages will create pressure on Boeing to resume earlier rather than later)

 

[steelpillow]

Interesting that “excessive rework” is the cause of the lightning protection issue. That implies the panels were not right when first made and had to be hacked about before fitting. Given that electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in general and LEMP (Lightning electromagnetic pulse) in particular is such a big deal for composite components, failure to reappraise the protection integrity after rework stands out as yet another example of safety culture under excess pressure. (FWIW EMC/EMP was once my day job. Typically the resin matrix gets vapourised by even a modest test lightning strike and the unprotected composite fibres break, splaying out like a bogbrush).

I begin to wonder whether the FAA inspections of each and every aircraft will be able to keep up with Boeing's planned delivery rates.

 

[MihoshiK]

Interesting that “excessive rework” is the cause of the lightning protection issue. That implies the panels were not right when first made and had to be hacked about before fitting. Given that electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in general and LEMP (Lightning electromagnetic pulse) in particular is such a big deal for composite components, failure to reappraise the protection integrity after rework stands out as yet another example of safety culture under excess pressure. (FWIW EMC/EMP was once my day job. Typically the resin matrix gets vapourised by even a modest test lightning strike and the unprotected composite fibres break, splaying out like a bogbrush).

I begin to wonder whether the FAA inspections of each and every aircraft will be able to keep up with Boeing's planned delivery rates.

I think that it's going to be the other way around. Boeing's planned delivery rates are going to keep pace with the FAA inspections. No inspection, no delivery.
And foreign regulatory bodies are going to keep an eye out on the whole process, so it's going to be hard for Boeing to do an endrun around the inspections by pressuring the FAA.

 

[steelpillow]

I think that it's going to be the other way around. Boeing's planned delivery rates are going to keep pace with the FAA inspections. No inspection, no delivery.
And foreign regulatory bodies are going to keep an eye out on the whole process, so it's going to be hard for Boeing to do an endrun around the inspections by pressuring the FAA.

Well, "planned" and "actual" are not the same thing. The Max is not known for it track record of going to Boeing's plans recently.

 

[TomcatViP]

"
US-built aircraft would be prohibited from being sold to foreign airlines unless the state concerned is compliant with ICAO standards, as determined by international safety assessment programmes. "

That's radical.

Contrary to what was said above, this is absolutely relevant to this thread. The safety procedures around sensors handling and pilots reactions is a proof to that.

Hence, this radical regulation is a step forward in aviation safety. And once again Boeing and the US are at the forefront of the pack (after their unique move per example to call for and then ban air transportation of Batteries following MH370).

Great move!

 

[DWG]

Hence, this radical regulation is a step forward in aviation safety. And once again Boeing and the US are at the forefront of the pack

That's 'the US', or more accurately 'three Senate Democrats' not 'Boeing and the US'. There's absolutely nothing in the article to imply Boeing was involved beyond the MAX disasters focusing attention on certification

 

[TomcatViP]

Transparency doesn't come as a natural on every side of the market.

 

[kaiserd]

Transparency doesn't come as a natural on every side of the market.

What does that mean?

 

[DWG]

Spirit AeroSystems Plans 737 MAX Restart in March

The biggest supplier of parts for the Boeing 737 MAX plans to restart limited production in March, regardless of the plane maker’s ability to win backing from regulators.

www.wsj.com

Which doesn't necessarily mean Boeing will restart the MAX line in March. First Spirit have to complete a fuselage and then ship it to Seattle, and even then it's a matter for Boeing as to when they start work, and dependent on how quickly the other parts of the supply chain can spool up.

 

[TomcatViP]

Boeing Goes on Hiring Spree in High-Stakes Gamble on 737 Max

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

 

[Grey Havoc]

Test flight set to put Boeing 737 Max back in the skies

US aviation regulator says final checks on new software are being completed that could put the plane back in the air

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[TomcatViP]

‘It’s More Than I Imagined’: Boeing’s New C.E.O. Confronts Its Challenges (Published 2020)

In a candid interview, David Calhoun largely laid the blame for the company’s 737 Max crisis on his predecessor.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Congress slams Boeing and FAA for alleged 737 Max failures

A US congressional committee investigating the Boeing 737 Max has issue a preliminary report highlighted alleged failures by Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration.

www.flightglobal.com

FAA fines Boeing for unapproved sensors on almost 800 737s

The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $19.7 million fine against Boeing for regulatory violations related to sensors on nearly 800 examples of the 737NG and 737 Max.

www.flightglobal.com

Coronavirus overtakes 737 Max as airline industry’s biggest concern

Covid-19 has seen airlines slash schedules and supplanted Boeing's 737 Max as the industry's big story. But what happens when the jet is cleared to fly again?

www.flightglobal.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Congressional Report Faults Boeing on MAX Design, FAA for Lax Oversight

Preliminary findings describe in stark terms how engineering mistakes and a “culture of concealment” at Boeing, coupled with insufficient federal safety oversight, led to two fatal crashes of 737 MAX aircraft.

www.wsj.com

 

[steelpillow]

As ever, a summary for those of us without access accounts to the online rag in question would be much appreciated.

Congressional Report Faults Boeing on MAX Design, FAA for Lax Oversight

Preliminary findings describe in stark terms how engineering mistakes and a “culture of concealment” at Boeing, coupled with insufficient federal safety oversight, led to two fatal crashes of 737 MAX aircraft.

www.wsj.com

 

[Arjen]

The Guardian on the same congressional report:

Boeing's 'culture of concealment' led to fatal 737 Max crashes, report finds

Preliminary findings conclude Boeing ‘jeopardized the safety of the flying public’ in its attempts to get Max approved by regulators

www.theguardian.com

Congressional report can be found here:

https://transportation.house.gov/imo/media/doc/TI%20Preliminary%20Investigative%20Findings%20Boeing%20737%20MAX%20March%202020.pdf

 

[steelpillow]

Congressional report can be found here:

Yikes! That is one damning report, for the FAA management almost as much as for Boeing's.

 

[DWG]

FAA fines Boeing for unapproved sensors on almost 800 737s

The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $19.7 million fine against Boeing for regulatory violations related to sensors on nearly 800 examples of the 737NG and 737 Max.

www.flightglobal.com

"FAA says sensors that feed head-up guidance systems made by Rockwell Collins, now Collins Aerospace, were not approved to work with those guidance systems.
....

Asked if it might need to modify affected 737s, Boeing says it believes “there are no issues with the physical units” and that the fine relates only to documentation."

Unless it's certified the combination in the interim, Boeing will need to take it through the certification process, so it's more than simply 'documentation'.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Ethiopia Airlines crash report focuses on Boeing's faulty systems

Ethiopian investigators singled out faulty systems on a Boeing <BA.N> 737 MAX plane in an interim report on last year's Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people, piling pressure on the U.S. jetmaker on the eve of the disaster's anniversary.

www.reuters.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Inside the Boeing Scandal That Rocked the Aviation Industry

Boeing’s two 737 MAX 8 crashes and the investigation that followed ruined not just the aircraft manufacturer’s reputation but also its bottom line. WSJ’s aviation reporters break down how the scandal unfolded and explain what the flying public can expect in the future. Photo: Gary He/EPA-EFE

www.wsj.com

 

[DWG]

Boeing scores widebody orders in February, MAX cancellations mount

Boeing Co <BA.N> said on Wednesday it took in 18 new orders for widebody planes in February but saw more customers cancel orders of its grounded and previously best-selling 737 MAX jet, as it faced another blow to demand from the coronavirus outbreak.

www.reuters.com

TLDR: 19 MAX orders swapped for 7 787s, 21 MAX orders cancelled outright. Boeing net orders for February: -28.

 

[TomcatViP]

It remains to be seen how the present virus crisis could help Boeing: slowing down appetite from airline to get hands on their MAX order, in effect lowering Boeing needs for cash. Also, as many time raised here and there, the volatility of Airbus position due to their core market (short to medium & Europe) could make Boeing position more attractive to investors at market recovery.

 

[DWG]

It remains to be seen how the present virus crisis could help Boeing: slowing down appetite from airline to get hands on their MAX order, in effect lowering Boeing needs for cash.

What you've missed is that the airlines themselves will be desperate for cash, stinging Boeing for compensation for delayed delivery just got even more immediately attractive. While I suspect airlines threatening to cancel orders will be demanding repayment in full of any deposits and interim payments, AND compensation.

 

[TomcatViP]

Airlines will get tax relief in countries governed by clever people. Tax relief means that they will have to invest, and on the long term, to get full advantages of it.

 

[kaiserd]

Airlines will get tax relief in countries governed by clever people. Tax relief means that they will have to invest, and on the long term, to get full advantages of it.

Not if the Airlines in question have gone to the wall. Or suffered enough economic damage to slow their recovery.
Damage to the Airline industry ultimately hurts Boeing not matter how hard one looks for a silver lining.

 

[TomcatViP]

@kaiserd : Obviously. We would be there out of scale with my little theory.
But stimulus does work. Most lends to the US auto-industry were covered quite rapidly if I do remind well.

 

[TomcatViP]

Flight Global published a retrospective time line of the Max crisis:

Timeline of the twists and turns in the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max

On 13 March 2019 the US essentially completed the global grounding of the Boeing 737 Max, following two fatal crashes involving the type in the space of five months.

www.flightglobal.com

 

[Grey Havoc]

Boeing stock wipes out gains made during ousted CEO Muilenburg's term

Boeing Co's shares on Monday erased all gains recorded during ousted CEO Dennis Muilenburg's tenure due to the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and uncertainty around the 737 MAX's return to service, which also led to a credit rating downgrade by S&P Global Ratings...

www.reuters.com

 

[steelpillow]

Boeing stock wipes out gains made during ousted CEO Muilenburg's term

Boeing Co's shares on Monday erased all gains recorded during ousted CEO Dennis Muilenburg's tenure due to the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and uncertainty around the 737 MAX's return to service, which also led to a credit rating downgrade by S&P Global Ratings...

www.reuters.com

To be fair, this is not hugely relevant here. As it says, in the current global crisis:

“Markets are melting down, airlines are grounding fleets, and traffic has collapsed. This has all dwarfed the MAX disaster,”​

​

 

[TomcatViP]

Boeing on Tuesday said it was seeking at least $60 billion to assist the aerospace industry as it struggles with declining demand due to the coronavirus. President Donald Trump said the same day that he would support Boeing, which also is a top U.S. defense contractor.
[...]
"We appreciate the support of the president and the administration for the 2.5 million jobs and 17,000 suppliers that Boeing relies on to remain the number one US exporter, and we look forward to working with the administration and Congress as they consider legislation and the appropriate policies," the company said in a statement.

Jim Cramer says Boeing 'will run out of money' if it is not 'saved'

"It's not a plea for me. It's a plea for the 2 million workers who are in the supply chain," CNBC's Jim Cramer said.

www.cnbc.com

 

[steelpillow]

If you are Boeing, it seems every cloud has a silver lining:
https://simpleflying.com/coronavirus-boeing-737-max-shortage/

Because of the massive travel cutbacks due to Coronavirus, "Most likely, the settlements that the airlines were seeking from Boeing due to loss of revenue as a result of the grounding of the aircraft will now be significantly less as they can no longer argue that the inability to use the planes are leading to substantial financial damage."

 

[TomcatViP]

A little bit above

 

[Deleted member 18851]

My father works in the SLC, Utah plant, apparently employees have been getting wildly mixed signals from management. Last week on wednsday it was "No overtime, No exceptions." but by the weekend it was allhands on deck and all the overtime you could handle.