(CNN) SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to return Boeing Starliner crew to Earth; A Song for Boeing  Quoting, A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule will bring home two NASA astronauts who have remained on board the International Space Station for about 80 days because of issues plaguing the Boeing Starliner spacecraft — marking a stunning turn of … Continue reading (CNN) SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule to return Boeing Starliner crew to Earth; A Song for Boeing →

(CNN) Boeing, NASA may have found ‘root cause’ of Starliner spacecraft’s issues, but astronauts are still in limbo. Quoting, “There is a lot of good reasons to complete this mission and bring Butch and Suni home on Starliner,” Stich said after noting that NASA does have contingency options if Starliner is not approved to bring … Continue reading (CNN) Boeing, NASA may have found ‘root cause’ of Starliner spacecraft’s issues, but astronauts are still in limbo →

(CNN) Prosecutors urge Justice Department to file criminal charges against Boeing over 737 Max. January 9, 2024, (CNN) Boeing executives to convene all-hands safety meeting at its 737 Max factory after yet another crisis December 24, 2019, Boeing & Safety Culture Redux March 15, 2019, US Air Force, Boeing has ‘severe situation’ , Safety Culture … Continue reading (CNN) Prosecutors urge Justice Department to file criminal charges against Boeing over 737 Max; Prosecute Boeing! →

(CNN) Boeing executives to convene all-hands safety meeting at its 737 Max factory after yet another crisis. See Boeing & Safety Culture Redux. Boeing is building planes the way Detroit used to build cars. A crash course on manufacturing ethics won’t fix the Boeing wagon. Every structural bolt or nut in a plane or motor … Continue reading (CNN) Boeing executives to convene all-hands safety meeting at its 737 Max factory after yet another crisis →

Quoting from (CNN) These are the mistakes that cost Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg his job (red highlights mine), …While the plane was still in the process of being certified, Boeing pilots were sending messages to each other questioning whether the safety system would work as intended. And a Boeing whistleblower recently testified to Congress that … Continue reading Boeing & Safety Culture Redux →

(CNN) US Air Force says Boeing has ‘severe situation’ after trash found on refueling planes. This is not  about neatness.  Quoting, Boeing will now have to conduct spot inspections on the aircraft during production, including specific areas of the planes that may be sealed as part of the production processes…Dr. Will Roper, assistant secretary of … Continue reading US Air Force, Boeing has ‘severe situation’ , Safety Culture →

Maybe it’s universal: In any organization, safety culture is the first thing to rot, because it pays no dividends.  Safety rot can cut future dividends, but paying it forward has always been a weak motivation. The early reports of witnesses indicated a catastrophic mechanical failure, evidenced by fire, smoke, and a hole in the airplane. … Continue reading Boeing, FAA, Space Shuttle Challenger, Richard Feynman, and Safety Culture →

Quoting (Reuters) Ethiopian plane smoked and shuddered before deadly plunge, a witness said, “It was a loud rattling sound. Like straining and shaking metal…” This draws attention to one of  the engine fans. While the original jet engine produces all the forward thrust from a hot exhaust, modern high-bypass jet engines contain something resembling an … Continue reading More Boeing 737 Max Musings →

(CNN) Ethiopian Airlines crash is second disaster involving Boeing 737 MAX 8 in months. This is a short explainer for readers who aren’t familiar with engineering culture. Besides all the equations, there actually is a culture. This is speculative, intended to help the reader better follow the accident investigation. Edit: (Reuters) Ethiopian plane smoked and … Continue reading Boeing 737 Max Crashes →

(CNN) US assesses Russia likely launched a counter space weapon last week. For a description of a conventional, non-nuclear weapon, see Mysterious Russian satellite; It’s a Tristatic Locator. The Russian weapon inevitably enjoys a cost exchange advantage over the largest category of U.S. spy satellites; cost translates directly to capabilities. Optics for the largest birds … Continue reading (CNN) US assesses Russia likely launched a counter space weapon; Russian Dolls in Orbit →