The Boeing 737 is now the most popular commercial jet aircraft ever produced. Through December 2017 Boeing delivered 2,998 Classics, 6,303 NGs, and 70 MAXs. A total of 9,371. But getting the 737 you ordered takes time. It is interesting…
With another two stories today about in-flight component failures (Southwest, Sichuan), we are being reminded that airplanes are vulnerable. There is nothing quite like an airline/airplane scary story to catch people’s attention. The industry safety statistics are too good to…
In the wake of last week’s fatal incident, the FAA has issued an emergency Airworthiness Directive. Southwest Airlines flight 1380 last Tuesday from New York to Dallas experienced an uncontained engine failure of a CFM-56 engine during which shrapnel penetrated…
The recent amazing performance by the crew on Southwest 1380 highlighted Captain Tammie Jo Shults’ exceptional crisis management skills. Her training was outstanding and her handling of the engine explosion is a testimony not only to her military training, but…
If one limits the active airline passenger fleet In the United States to between 100-150 seats, then as of 2Q17 there were 1,671 aircraft. Of these, 699 were Airbus, 794 were Boeing and 178 were Douglas. Please bear in mind…
Southwest is proud of its new MAX fleet. It put out this PR on October 1st. So how did one go? A busy day, except for one awkward moment. The fleet went across the nation, building many hours – one…