Posted on 03/05/2019 11:26:04 AM PST by Rusty0604
The Seattle Times reported late last week the Air Force had discovered unwanted tools, bits of debris, and other garbage in various locations of KC-46A tankers. According to the Times, Air Force pilots at Boeing for training refused to fly the aircraft as a result, citing safety concerns. “This is a big deal," a Boeing memo was quoted as saying.
The presence of tools and debris in aircraft is a serious safety hazard. Objects can roll around in flight, shorting out electrical equipment and damaging other equipment. Tools were found in two aircraft delivered to the USAF and in eight more still at Boeing. The Seattle newspaper says the problem is the fault of mechanics working on the plane but also quality control inspectors that monitor work and ensure nothing unauthorized is left inside an aircraft section before it is closed up. The Times notes this comes as Boeing is preparing to cut up to 1,000 quality control inspector positions.
(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...
I’m reminded of Michael Crichton’s book “Airframe” which laid heavily into the unions for threats and sabotage.
Nah, never. Besides, they’d just go work for Southwest, right?
Sounds like sabotage.
Cutting QC never works out. My company did that in the mid-2000’s, and paid a hefty price.
The Air Force is absolutely anal about tools and their potential for foreign object damage. I did some work in an Air Force facility... two stories underground... miles from the flightline... and I still had to follow all the tool rules... sign out... sign in... daily inventory...
Not possible.
Don’t forget that the tanker contract was originally won by Northrop, but Boeing ratcheted up the political pressure and, in a mockery to procurement, got the award vacated because the Northrop airbus frame was so much better than the requirents that it wasn’t a fair competition. Surprising nobody, the tanker contract went to them and it failed to meet delivery by two effing years.
I didn’t k ow that about Northrop.
Army aviation takes FOD seriously too. FOD cans in every hangar work area, and FOD inside an aircraft found during preflight can mean something fell off. Nothing left unsecured prior to takeoff. When in doubt, get an inspector.
Brian Bosworth, lead mechanic, Boeing Corporation.
When we did acceptance of C-141s from depot level maintenance and modification we had similar problems.
It was pretty difficult to place a high level of confidence on the quality of the worker when we found empty liquor bottles and apparently used condoms inside the extended fuselage plug?!?!
It was classified as FOD (F'in Odd).
[I did some work in an Air Force facility... two stories underground... miles from the flightline]
A-HA!! So YOU know where the Roswell UFO really is!!!
(j/k)
Niiiice.
I had to use Wiki to figure that one out.
I’m a Detroit native, and we used to say, “Never buy a car made on a Friday or a Monday.”
If they're not enforcing 100% tool accountability, they're negligent. If they are ... this is deliberate sabotage.
As I recall, the last time this was an issue was...during labor unrest. That and a work stoppage got Boeing's unions a composite manufacturing plant and an assembly plant in North Charleston, South Carolina.
Local scuttlebutt says that IF Boeing builds the new Mid Market Plane (the 797) it's not a given it will be built in Everett...and if it is, it could well be at the cost of all 787 assembly moving to Charleston.
They can't seem to help themselves.
I’ve heard that it rained parts and tools when the shuttle transitioned from horizontal-to-vertical.
Liquor bottles and condoms? Wow.
Its good the USAF hasn’t allowed quality control inspectors to be handled by civilian contractors. The military abrogated that responsibility with respect to food to the FDA and the USDA and the quality has really sucked since then.
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