737NG - cracking of critical failure point part reported by Boeing
Sep 27, 2019 | 6:56 pm
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737NG - cracking of critical failure point part reported by Boeing
Well, this sounds slightly troubling. I just read this over on the AS forum:
https://komonews.com/news/local/excl...37ng-equipment
"Boeing engineers and safety investigators are scrambling to find out how many Boeing 737NGs have cracked 'pickle forks' after finding several in the jets.
A pickle fork is the part that helps attach a plane's fuselage to its wing structure. It helps manage the stress, torque and aerodynamic forces that bend the connection between the wings and the body of the jet.
Engineers design pickle forks to last the lifetime of the plane, more than 90,000 landings and takeoffs, a term known as "flight cycles" in the aviation industry, without developing cracks. There could be dire results if the pickle fork system on the jet fails in flight.
During a recent inspection, workers found a severely cracked pickle fork on a Boeing 737NG. The plane is relatively young, having logged approximately 35,000 flight cycles when the damage was found.
......"
https://komonews.com/news/local/excl...37ng-equipment
"Boeing engineers and safety investigators are scrambling to find out how many Boeing 737NGs have cracked 'pickle forks' after finding several in the jets.
A pickle fork is the part that helps attach a plane's fuselage to its wing structure. It helps manage the stress, torque and aerodynamic forces that bend the connection between the wings and the body of the jet.
Engineers design pickle forks to last the lifetime of the plane, more than 90,000 landings and takeoffs, a term known as "flight cycles" in the aviation industry, without developing cracks. There could be dire results if the pickle fork system on the jet fails in flight.
During a recent inspection, workers found a severely cracked pickle fork on a Boeing 737NG. The plane is relatively young, having logged approximately 35,000 flight cycles when the damage was found.
......"
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Sep 27, 2019 at 10:16 pm Reason: editted to respect copyright
Sep 27, 2019 | 9:00 pm
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Sounds pretty serious and not at all easy to fix either. Is this something that is checked during regular maintenance?
Sep 27, 2019 | 9:12 pm
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Sep 27, 2019 | 9:44 pm
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The way things are worded it sounds like they are inspected at some regular interval, but maybe not often enough, and that they have some reason to believe that it's limited to some sub-population of the fleet ("implement a recommended inspection plan for certain airplanes in the fleet"). It could be a certain production run of aircraft, or aircraft with pickle forks from a particular supplier. Probably also increased inspection of non-implicated aircraft, as well, to see if the problem is broader than they might initially suspect.
Sep 28, 2019 | 2:18 pm
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Sep 28, 2019 | 4:20 pm
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Sep 28, 2019 | 5:04 pm
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Sep 29, 2019 | 4:17 am
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737NG? That's an unfortunate selection of letters. Boeing's also got serious marketing issues as if 737MAX wasn't enough.
Why not 737OMG or 737DOA?
Crinkle, crinkle, little spar,
Strained beyond the yield-point far,
Up above the world so high,
Bits and pieces in the sky...
Stop it. This is nothing to get cracked up over.
Why not 737OMG or 737DOA?
Crinkle, crinkle, little spar,
Strained beyond the yield-point far,
Up above the world so high,
Bits and pieces in the sky...
Stop it. This is nothing to get cracked up over.
Last edited by Long Zhiren; Sep 29, 2019 at 4:30 am
Sep 29, 2019 | 4:39 am
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I'm guessing the pickle fork system has been designed with some redundancy (i.e. the failure of one pickle fork won't cause the wing to snap off)? In addition, is there any way to spot a broken pickle on the bird? No doubt if this is a manufacturing issue, which Boeing is liable for there will be significant costs and downtime involved for all birds impacted. Hopefully we don't end up seeing a flock of NGs grounded in Washington. 737s love to migrate 
From the standpoint of the airline, perhaps UA could come up with some livery choices to make passengers aware of the birds they are flying on. For the NG it could be Star Trek themed, Mad Max : Fury Road would be a pretty solid choice for the 737 MAX.
Safe Travels,
James
From the standpoint of the airline, perhaps UA could come up with some livery choices to make passengers aware of the birds they are flying on. For the NG it could be Star Trek themed, Mad Max : Fury Road would be a pretty solid choice for the 737 MAX.
Safe Travels,
James
Sep 29, 2019 | 10:18 am
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Would be curious to know why the NGs would have this issue but not the MAX - are the wing structurally different given the new engines?