Southwest Flight Diverted With A Cracked Window!
May 2, 2018, 5:53 pm
#31
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People seldom realize this, but oddball stuff happens every day in the airline world. Flight occasionally blow a tire on takeoff or landing.
Flights abort takeoffs, or go missed approach when landing.
Earlier than normal landings are made for pax misconduct issues.
After a major event (like 1380), the media's tendency is to report on anything remotely out of the ordinary, with a link (justified or not) to the previous major event.
If this latest window crack has anything at all to do with metal fatigue, it's concerning because WN has had past issues with metal fatigue, including a hole blown in the top of a 737 at cruising altitude.
May 2, 2018, 6:23 pm
#32
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May 2, 2018, 6:40 pm
#33
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Yet the potential consequences of each incident is a passenger fatality. Once we get to that level, it's worth monitoring, IMO.
Which has never, AFAIK, resulted in a fatality.
Which doesn't result in a fatality.
Doesn't result in a fatality.
The difference here is the potential for a fatal injury. Deaths make the news, especially airline deaths, precisely because they are so rare. The potential for a death (and, admittedly, a grisly death in this case) will obviously feed the news stream.
If this latest window crack has anything at all to do with metal fatigue, it's concerning because WN has had past issues with metal fatigue, including a hole blown in the top of a 737 at cruising altitude.
Which has never, AFAIK, resulted in a fatality.
Which doesn't result in a fatality.
Doesn't result in a fatality.
The difference here is the potential for a fatal injury. Deaths make the news, especially airline deaths, precisely because they are so rare. The potential for a death (and, admittedly, a grisly death in this case) will obviously feed the news stream.
If this latest window crack has anything at all to do with metal fatigue, it's concerning because WN has had past issues with metal fatigue, including a hole blown in the top of a 737 at cruising altitude.
May 2, 2018, 6:43 pm
#34
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Hence, the "AFAIK" qualifier. Thanks for reminding me of the Concorde; given its footprint and accessibility to the general world population, I'd discount that single incident vs. what's happened at WN over the past few years. <shrugs>
May 2, 2018, 7:13 pm
#35
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United, American, Delta, and Alaska have killed more people on a single flight than Southwest has since their startup in 1971. As far as I can tell, Allegiant has had more incidents this year alone than WN has the past few years.
May 2, 2018, 7:23 pm
#36
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SWA inspection of window frame rivets was flagged in 2007. N713SW was delivered in 1998.
Wall Street Journal
Southwest failed to complete specific required maintenance involving rivets around window frames of 55 of its aircraft. Exacerbating the problem, Southwest flew six of the jets for two weeks after notifying the FAA of the maintenance lapse, indicating they had resolved the problem, even though they hadn’t.
FAA managers, according to the special counsel, failed to ensure that Southwest ever eventually completed the maintenance work.
FAA managers, according to the special counsel, failed to ensure that Southwest ever eventually completed the maintenance work.
May 2, 2018, 7:36 pm
#37
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May 2, 2018, 7:38 pm
#38
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SWA inspection of window frame rivets was flagged in 2007. N713SW was delivered in 1998.
Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal
That article is marked as "Updated, March 19, 2010." It was a long time ago.
May 2, 2018, 8:27 pm
#40
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Let me put it this way.
WN is still one of the safest airlines in the U.S. based on mortality rate. However, WN is also one of the worst airlines in term of maintenance.
At this moment, I would say these incidents seem not related. But it could eventually relate to its culture of non-maintenance.
IMHO - sooner or later, WN will have to ground its fleet to make-up maintenance. It is a matter of when.
WN is still one of the safest airlines in the U.S. based on mortality rate. However, WN is also one of the worst airlines in term of maintenance.
At this moment, I would say these incidents seem not related. But it could eventually relate to its culture of non-maintenance.
IMHO - sooner or later, WN will have to ground its fleet to make-up maintenance. It is a matter of when.
May 2, 2018, 8:28 pm
#41
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We're in an era now where airline travel is so incredibly safe that even a single fatality is held up as a very rare - and in most cases preventable - event. So yes, it's worrisome when WN has the series of incidents it's had over the past few years, involving cabin integrity at altitude.
May 2, 2018, 11:42 pm
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May 3, 2018, 12:37 am
#43
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May 3, 2018, 6:13 am
#45
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