Thoughts on the Southwest Airlines Incident

[Pitar]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

My late Dad was Air Force.
I remember him saying, "Always get a seat right up back."
"Why?" I asked him.
"Because that's the last bit to hit the ground."


Have you seen the film 'Rainman' with Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise?
QANTAS

The main point is fuel, once the fuel tanks rupture, spews forward as the airframe drags to a halt. The resulting fire typically leaves the empennage scorched but otherwise survivable.

I was an aircraft salvage rep for a company and was charged with retrieving crashed airliners from wherever they fell to earth regardless of location or terrain. In most instances the empennage was the least damaged.

Regarding the engine, an uncontained failure of the compressor section is rare but when it occurs it's during high-power take-off demand from the engine rather than at cruise throttle. The plane was cruising at 31K when the event occurred. And, when these events occur it's usually because of a significant compressor stall caused by compressed air behind the compressor section wanting to reverse direction in the engine and escape out the front. The cause of that us usually a combustion section failure, aka internal hot section explosion, that sends expanding gases in both directions forward and aft (out the tail pipe). It may well be the case that the compressor section where all the fan and compressor blades are was not the source of the failure. Until the NTSB is done inspecting the engine in it's current state of failure, reviewed all previous relevant flight regimes and studied the engine's maintenance records all is hearsay. The CFM56-series engine has been a stalwart performer over many years so design will not lie at the core of the NTSB's review.

[Ozzy the dog]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

I take 4 flights every week for work (2 flight segments to get to Chicago and 2 more for the return home). I don't worry about a plane accident. I figure I'm at far greater risk on the cab ride to O'Hare than the actual flight.

It makes you wonder how the inspectors missed metal fatigue though.

When you think about it, pilots are flying every day and they get to retire after many years of it.

If fear of flying was rational, then pilots (being the most exposed to it) would be the last people you would want flying the plane.

[Silly Moustache]

as someone once said "I'm not sacred of flying - I'm scared of crashing!".

I'm still planning on that flight in a Spitfire. It flies over my house a number of times a day.

[aknow]

Originally Posted by Wadcutter

I’m supposed to fly from NYC to San Diego in a few weeks and I am seriously considering canceling my trip. That particular engine that suffered metal fatigue and blew a fan blade on that SWA 737 causing a catastrophic engine failure is the same engine that is on over 8,000 other airliners they said in the news. How the heck are they going to inspect 8,000 engines in any reasonable amount of time? Sure makes me wonder if flying commercial is safe right now. How the heck can a fan blade just separate from the hub and blow an engine like that? Isn’t there some routine inspection of these fan blades on a regular schedule to prevent this kind of thing? This incident has really shaken my confidence in the airline industry, especially if they discover this was the result of some knucklehead mechanic at SWA not doing his job properly.

37,400,000 commercial flights per year, times 10 years! Our chances are quite good of surviving. Personally, I really dislike flying, I remember when it was a different experience than it is now.

[Davis Webb]

The female pilot, who was former air force, who landed it is the hero here. Please lets focus on her. Or do we not, because its a "her?"

[Kerbie]

Originally Posted by Davis Webb

The female pilot, who was former air force, who landed it is the hero here.

I believe she is a former Naval aviator who flew the F-18 Hornet.

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by valleyguy

The latest is that the blade came off due to metal fatigue, something that can only be found through ultrasound inspection, which is costly and time consuming. Nonetheless it seems the NTSB will be sending out a notice to ultrasound certain models of this engine.

Engineers are reporting that there should have been protection on the engine shroud cowling to prevent part incursion into the fuselage. That is now the current avenue of investigation.

With the billions of hours on these engines, it is amazing there are not more failures. These engines are pretty reliable.

According to PBS News Hour reporting, ultrasound was recommended after the last time this happened a few years ago after another Southwest engine did the same thing, and Southwest resisted.

[flaggerphil]

Originally Posted by Kerbie

I believe she is a former Naval aviator who flew the F-18 Hornet.

Indeed she was. She was one of the first female Navy fighter pilots.

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by Davis Webb

The female pilot, who was former air force, who landed it is the hero here. Please lets focus on her. Or do we not, because its a "her?"

She is a pro for sure. However, the pilot has repeatedly ask that the focus not be on her and her crew but on the tragic loss of the life of a lady. It makes her a poor protest subject.

Bob

[bostosh]

Originally Posted by Wadcutter

This incident has really shaken my confidence in the airline industry, especially if they discover this was the result of some knucklehead mechanic at SWA not doing his job properly.

Rest easy, the exploding hub failures are history,
That is the big plate that holds those really light blades
Main shafts never blow.
Millions of used parts flying overhead right now
Are you concerned that someone forgot the oil plug?

When you get here call me I'll explain the system of dirt to parts.
( And you can play my aerospace billet soundboard Dred. )
Every flight part is documented from dirt to scrap.

Way back working in jet engine overhaul and rebuilding engine parts like precious gems.
I was very impressed with the parts tracking and care.
Then there is the "Test Cell" that is the concrete bunker where they try to blow it up.

It seems to be that management will choose to do or not upon the FAA recommendations. and severity level.
All based upon the $$$$ of the company.
Cheap flight companies will get deferred maintenance.

[Dave Abrahamson]

Originally Posted by Looburst

If it's my time, it's my time, nothing you can do about that.

...but what if it the pilots time?

[fazool]

Originally Posted by Ozzy the dog

I read that this was the first fatality on a flight in the US since 2009....

Correct. That was flight 3407 - the first and only commercial plane crash in Buffalo, NY.

A former coworker of mine was on the news because the plane landed straight down on the house next door to his

[fazool]

Originally Posted by Davis Webb

The female pilot, who was former air force, who landed it is the hero here. Please lets focus on her. Or do we not, because its a "her?"

I never once for any fraction of a millisecond got the impression there was any sexism or discrimination happening. I think implying there is such is inflammatory and foments hatred and anger that isn't there.

[VTexan]

...which is between San Antonio and Boerne. My daughter and her daughter used to be in a Sports Accro team at a local gym and one day her daughter announced that my daughter could no longer say the word "butt" because at her house, it was a cuss word. This was 12 or 13 years ago.

Methinks the former Navy pilot probably keeps a tight ship at home.

[Gitfiddlemann]

Originally Posted by VTexan

My daughter and her daughter used to be in a Sports Accro team at a local gym and one day her daughter announced that my daughter could no longer say the word "butt" because at her house, it was a cuss word.

Well, I suppose it's her right to call it whatever she deems proper, but the record will show that she saved 148 of them that day, including hers.
I was struck by the comments of those few brave passengers who stepped up to help the unfortunate woman who later died, as well as the pilot.
Rather than wanting to discuss their heroics at greater length, they instead re-focused the attention back towards the deceased and her family.
An honorable trait shared commonly by all of them.