In 2010, Al Jazeera produced a documentary entitled "On a Wing and a Prayer", in which serious issues were raised with the quality management of the large American aircraft manufacturer.
The reaction of Boeing to the exposure of serious manufacture issues is quite disturbing – they sacked the whistleblowers. The reaction of the FAA is astounding – one can only conclude that the rationale of "too big to fail" is in play; meaning that if the airframes that were produced during the period in question were grounded, a serious impact in the global economy would result. Watch the documentary here:http://bit.ly/y3BGVJ I question the online discussions that imply that the three accidents shown on the documentary (where Boeing 737NG's broke up on landing) are not relevant, as few people were killed and it would happen to any aircraft. The point here is that an aircraft that makes a hard landing should NOT necessarily break up on impact. There is a famous – and often mis-attributed – video of a large transport aircraft crash landing and bursting into flames. This video was used in the documentary – and in my opinion is very instructive. Airline Reporter has a short but comprehensive clip of the crash test, with voice commentary and several angles, including interior video: http://bit.ly/wZRVOu Some background on the crash test:
- The video shown is from December 1984
- It is of a Boeing B720 Freighter, remotely piloted
- The test is conducted by NASA, in association with the FAA as part of the "Controlled Impact Demonstration Program" (CID) conducted in the early 1980's
- The test location is Edwards Airforce Base – dry lakebed
Next, some crash data:
- Vertical speed on impact – 17 feet per second (1020 feet per minute)
- Forward speed on impact – 151.5 kt
- Deceleration (g) is not quoted
The crash was deemed "survivable".
This video is instructive as it demonstrates the structural integrity of the fuselage, which remained intact after the very hard landing, and concomitant deliberate damage for testing purposes. The 737 NG's shown as part of the Al Jazeera documentary need not have broken apart on impact. For example, the December 2009 over-run accident at Kingston, Jamaica involved a 737 NG, which over-ran the end of the runway at 62 kt.
The rationale behind the 737 NG, is for it to be lighter and more economical in manufacture and operation. It would be interesting for a 737 NG to undergo crash testing similar to the B720 test in 1984, with its lighter structure and alleged manufacturing defects.
Are the travelling public being subjected to "safety at a cost", whereby structural integrity is subordinate to cost considerations due to risk assessment? The allegations shown in the Al Jazeera documentary certainly appear to show a manufacturer and regulator in denial of a very serious series of non-compliances in quality management that may eventually lead to an in-flight break-up of a modern commercial airliner. If you have not watched the documentary, you should. Particularly if you are a frequent flyer.