Boeing Names Independent Quality Review Leader

[MIflyer]

Well, Boeing's Washington engineering staff is unionized, too.

I understand that a sculpture at the union HQ depicts not union members building things but instead represents union workers on strike.

 

[Denniss]

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/18/business/boeing-strike-furloughs/index.html

 

[Denniss]

Important leave?

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/20/business/boeings-defense-ceo-ted-colbert/index.html

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Sept 20 (Reuters) - Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab said on Friday the head of its troubled space and defense unit is leaving the company immediately, in the first management change under new CEO Kelly Ortberg.

Ortberg who took over in August said Ted Colbert would be leaving and Steve Parker, the unit's chief operating officer, would assume Colbert's responsibilities until a replacement is named at a later date.

[...]

The FAA has tightened oversight of Boeing and barred it from expanding production of the MAX beyond 38 planes per month until it makes significant quality and safety improvements.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/boeing-defense-head-ted-colbert-leave-2024-09-20/

 

[Denniss]

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/23/business/boeing-raises-offer-strike/index.html

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/24/business/boeing-faa-administrator-hearing/index.html

 

[Admiral Beez]

Sheesh.

Safety Board Warns of Rudder Control Defect in Some Boeing Planes

The National Transportation Safety Board said it had found a defective part in the system that helps steer the aircraft after investigating an incident at Newark airport.

www.nytimes.com

Archive: https://archive.is/dhEIp

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Sheesh.

Safety Board Warns of Rudder Control Defect in Some Boeing Planes

The National Transportation Safety Board said it had found a defective part in the system that helps steer the aircraft after investigating an incident at Newark airport.

www.nytimes.com

Archive: https://archive.is/dhEIp

And its not a Boeing designed or built part, and there was no way for Boeing to know it was bad prior, because the manufacturer of the design certifies it. Nor is it installed on all 737 aircraft. The majority don't have it.

 

[Frog]

Well, Boeing's Washington engineering staff is unionized, too.

I understand that a sculpture at the union HQ depicts not union members building things but instead represents union workers on strike.

Fine. They could perform the R&D for the next Joint Strike Fighter.

 

[ThomasP]

re

And its not a Boeing designed or built part, and there was no way for Boeing to know it was bad prior, because the manufacturer of the design certifies it . . .

Unfortunately, this is an example of what happens when systems are allowed-to-become/made so large/complex that, when combined with human fallibility (mechanical or moral), there really is no practical way to ensure this sort of thing does not happen.

As I mentioned up-thread (I think), I am surprised that there are not a lot more problems/critical failures in the airline industry than there are. This is IMO a positive testament to the competence and intent of the vast majority of the people involved in the civil aviation quality control and safety management systems.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

re


Unfortunately, this is an example of what happens when systems are allowed-to-become/made so large/complex that, when combined with human fallibility (mechanical or moral), there really is no practical way to ensure this sort of thing does not happen.

As I mentioned up-thread (I think), I am surprised that there are not a lot more problems/critical failures in the airline industry than there are. This is IMO a positive testament to the competence and intent of the vast majority of the people involved in the civil aviation quality control and safety management systems.

Boeing is much more than the 737 and the Starliner. The vast majority of people in the company are competent and good people who do their jobs right and with the full intention of designing and building a safe product.

Unfortunately a public that is clueless on the subject, fueled by the media that only stokes the fire and quite honestly sells bad information for the sake of a story has made Boeing out to be a company that is nothing but criminals and incompetence. And every time something happens is sold as the fault of the Boeing.

People forget that all of the companies, Airbus, McDonnell Douglas, Lockheed, Northrop just to name a few have all had their share of bad moments and dark times. This just happens to be Boeing's, and the company is too great to fall. It will weather this storm and come out stronger thanks to the vast majority its employees that honestly do care.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

This just happens to be Boeing's, and the company is too great to fall. It will weather this storm and come out stronger thanks to the vast majority its employees that honestly do care.

I hope you're right, but I'm not terribly confident. In only one week the strike has cost Boeing $1.5 billion, and this on top of big losses based on the QC issues and Wall St mistrust, which restricts reinvestment to address issues.

How much cash reserves does Boeing have on hand? How many orders upcoming they can fill to sustain inflow?

Bear Stearns was too great to fail too, until it did. That shit crunched me up for a while.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I hope you're right, but I'm not terribly confident. In only one week the strike has cost Boeing $1.5 billion, and this on top of big losses based on the QC issues and Wall St mistrust, which restricts reinvestment to address issues.

How much cash reserves does Boeing have on hand? How many orders upcoming they can fill to sustain inflow?

Bear Stearns was too great to fail too, until it did. That shit crunched me up for a while.

Cash is being conserved through temporary furloughs by the non-union staff. South Carolina is still delivering aircraft, and so is St. Louis. Boeings backlog exceeds $100B.

Boeing is too big to fail. Its the US's largest exporter. If Boeing falls you are looking at 100s of thousands of jobs lost between the company and its suppliers. The economic impact on the US would be tremendous. No, Boeing will not fail.

The Union needs to realize the offer was a good one and get back to work.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Unfortunately a public that is clueless on the subject, fueled by the media that only stokes the fire and quite honestly sells bad information for the sake of a story has made Boeing out to be a company that is nothing but criminals and incompetence.

So, how does Boeing rectify this perception? How do they regain the near default faith they once held?

 

[WARSPITER]

Samsung copped similar attention years ago due to the Galaxy Note 7? having a battery that was too big or something
which caused them to burst into flames. Other Samsung "faults" were highlighted for a while but the pile on stopped after it
became old news and sales went back up.

Boeing aircraft are actually rated highly in the industry or at least have been for a long time so the media/political kneejerking
will slide away as some other disastrous problem becomes a better target.

 

[BobB]

So, how does Boeing rectify this perception? How do they regain the near default faith they once held?

Getting rid of the criminals and incompetents in upper management might be a start.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

So, how does Boeing rectify this perception? How do they regain the near default faith they once held?

Refocus on QC. Nail it down. Stop the penny-pinching corner-cutting, and make sure that every airplane rolling out of the factory is top-notch.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Getting rid of the criminals.. in upper management might be a start.

As in convicted felons? Who are they at Boeing upper management? Surely those involved in the two felony convictions in the 1980s below are no longer employed.

Summary of Boeing Felony Convictions

• The Boeing Company has pled guilty to felonies on two occasions.
  • November 1989, Boeing pled guilty in federal court to two counts of violating 18 U.S.C. § 641 and § 642 (unlawful conveyance). These convictions relate to the activity of a Boeing employee in its Washington D.C. office who improperly conveyed two government documents.
  • In June 1982, Boeing pled guilty in federal court to forty counts of violating 18 U.S.C. §§ 1001 and 1002 (false statements). These convictions relate to false statements that Boeing made in applications to the Exim Bank as to whether payments were made to non-regular agents in connection with sales of commercial aircraft.
    
    

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

So, how does Boeing rectify this perception? How do they regain the near default faith they once held?

By getting back to doing what it does best. By repairing the culture previous leadership created.

 

[Denniss]

Get rid of the MDD modus operandi (profit and shareholders first) and revert back to the good old Quality first.
Without quality you'll see a massive profit drop once customers and officials become aware of it. By then the initiators of this have pocketed their money and are long retired.

 

[SaparotRob]

Hire back the guys who built the BUFF, which is neither Fat nor Ugly.