CNN, October 2012 - On Tuesday, [American Airlines] said another flight had experienced loose seats, bringing the total to three flights on two planes in a week.[...] Robert Gless, deputy director of the Air Transport Division of the Transport Workers Union of America, dismissed the notion that the problems with loose seats were linked to labor issues as "without any basis in fact."
Reuters, January 2013 - Boeing Co (BA) made a revised offer to the union representing its 23,000 engineering employees on Friday. The improved offer came on the same day the U.S. government ordered a review of the firm's 787 Dreamliner following a string of mechanical and electrical problems.
h/t Melinda Romanoff
I'm not a fan of unions myself, but you've made no point. Seat bolts are a lot different than the growing pains of complex systems on a new aircraft. There is no reason for juxtaposition.
Geeze, now some engineer will have to devise a sensor and warning light for loose seats.
Like leftists, make problems to solve...
*Seat installation work is largely carried out by outside contractors, rather than maintenance personnel employed by the airline, he said in a statement.
"Problems related to seats are less likely a labor problem, but rather a management issue related to outsourcing work to third-party facilities," he said.
American Airlines plans to increase its use of outside maintenance facilities, including in China and other overseas locations, as it seeks to exit bankruptcy, he added.*
Unrelated problems on different models of planes; AA offering a raise to "engineering employees" (ie. they don't build the planes); and, outsourcing maintenance work to China. Yup...it's the union's fault.
These 787 problems (all 2 of them) are pretty minor and more of a media based hysteria. I was at the ramp in YYC a few months ago when a 757 pissed fuel all over the tarmac from an overflow valve in much the same way the 787 did.
The difference is that nobody bothered calling a news crew. The paperwork was filed, the problem was fixed and the tarmac was cleaned, the accountant wrote off the spilled fuel and everyone got on with their day and the world kept turning.
As for a Lithium battery fire, unfortunately Lithium batteries are volatile and they don't discriminate against aircraft type. If you really want to ask questions, ask why Lithium Batteries are FAA approved for use as a power source in Cockpit Voice and Flight Data Recorders and other aircraft devices but have to be shipped as Dangerous goods when not installed. The Lithium battery you bring aboard on your laptop is also just as likely to catch fire and burn up the aircraft.
Also maintenance issues on Commercial aircraft of any make and model happen literally everyday. Commercial aircraft go through brakes and tires like they are 5ยข candy. Also the amount of switches, light bulbs and O'rings on any part of the plane that wear out, burn out, leak would amaze you. You wouldn't believe until you see it what aircraft parts cost, the paperwork for each part and repair and how often parts get changed out to keep the metal birds in the air.
Thing that pisses me are the seats that keep falling back during flight.
The man in front of me kept falling back into my lap and I kept falling back into the lap of the woman behind me.
Lying in a womans lap is nice unless you are in an airplane seat..
How about fixing the damn things?
Paul's comment is right on. Ignorant media playing to an ignorant audience. What could possibly go wrong....
i think the point was very well made.
Aircraft seats are held in place by the 'feet' which slide into the seat track. Google Ancra seat track for the website, it has some pics. Some feet are designed to be locked and unlocked without tools, others have a capscrew to secure the lock down. When I was doing cargo to passenger re-configurations the rule was to physically grab each seat and see if you could lift any corner up, which would indicate an unlocked foot. If you could move the seat you had to unlock all the feet and start again. Someone has not been following the #1 rule in aircraft maintenance, which is very simple, ALWAYS CHECK YOUR WORK.
On critical stuff such as engine and flight controls you bring in another AME with a fresh set of eyes to double-check for you.
But at least when those planes go down, TSA has made sure there will be no terrorists on board.
I do like one of the comments to the article - it gives a whole new meaning when the flight attendant says "please take your seat".
Paul, regarding Lithium-Ion batteries, go to iepfire.com to see the newest aviation safety item, fire containment bags. I'm told that regulations are in the pipeline and these will soon be mandatory items on bizjets and airliners to confront the problem of batteries in phones, tablets and laptops that have gone into thermal runaway.
I have no idea why the FAA approved Lithium-Ion batteries for use in aircraft given the hazard they represent. At high rates of charging or discharging they tend to overheat and go into thermal runaway. I suspect that operators are already looking at retrofitting heavier but more stable NiCad batteries.
Re "Also maintenance issues on Commercial aircraft of any make and model happen literally everyday,": That's why when I fly, which is seldom ~ and probably why I have a fear of flying even when my husband points out to me that I have more of a chance, statistically, of being in an accident on my way to the airport than in the aircraft ~ I pray for all of the maintenance crew, that they catch and repair any loose screws or other "minor" problems that could become major when we're flying 30,000 feet above ground.
So far, so good ... ;-)
one one h3ll of a lot of flying, and never lost my seat once:-))))
and yup, Paul nails it alrite. When I used to tavell all over the place as a service tech, 75% of my mechanical problems were personality/or personality related problems, that could be cured with a kick in the ass of some dimwitt!!
My seat was loose on a trans-Atlantic flight a few years ago with alitalia/ When I complained about it, the stewardess ~ aka, flight attendant ~ when she finally got around to dealing with it, pulled the damned thing apart and put it back together, while treating me with scorn for not being able to figure it out for myself.
Mama mia!