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posted by mrpg on Monday April 22 2019, @12:29AM   Printer-friendly
from the profit-first dept.

Claims of Shoddy Production Draw Scrutiny to a Second Boeing Jet

When Boeing broke ground on its new factory near Charleston in 2009, the plant was trumpeted as a state-of-the-art manufacturing hub, building one of the most advanced aircraft in the world. But in the decade since, the factory, which makes the 787 Dreamliner, has been plagued by shoddy production and weak oversight that have threatened to compromise safety.

A New York Times review of hundreds of pages of internal emails, corporate documents and federal records, as well as interviews with more than a dozen current and former employees, reveals a culture that often valued production speed over quality. Facing long manufacturing delays, Boeing pushed its work force to quickly turn out Dreamliners, at times ignoring issues raised by employees.

Complaints about the frenzied pace echo broader concerns about the company in the wake of two deadly crashes involving another jet, the 737 Max. Boeing is now facing questions about whether the race to get the Max done, and catch up to its rival Airbus, led it to miss safety risks in the design, like an anti-stall system that played a role in both crashes.

Safety lapses at the North Charleston plant have drawn the scrutiny of airlines and regulators. Qatar Airways stopped accepting planes from the factory after manufacturing mishaps damaged jets and delayed deliveries. Workers have filed nearly a dozen whistle-blower claims and safety complaints with federal regulators, describing issues like defective manufacturing, debris left on planes and pressure to not report violations. Others have sued Boeing, saying they were retaliated against for flagging manufacturing mistakes.

Joseph Clayton, a technician at the North Charleston plant, one of two facilities where the Dreamliner is built, said he routinely found debris dangerously close to wiring beneath cockpits. "I've told my wife that I never plan to fly on it," he said. "It's just a safety issue."

Also at CNN and CNBC.

Related: Boeing 737 Max Aircraft Grounded in the U.S. and Dozens of Other Countries
Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan's Ties to Boeing Under Investigation
Initial Findings Put Boeing's Software at Center of Ethiopian 737 Crash


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  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 22 2019, @01:23PM (4 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 22 2019, @01:23PM (#833365)

    > Boeing and Airbus

    There are others, but big companies like similar planes to reduce maintenance costs.

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-17/first-japan-built-airliner-in-50-years-takes-on-boeing-airbus [bloomberg.com]

    On smaller planes you have many alternatives, but on bigger ones, there is very little

    >PCs and Macs
    linux! :D

    >Beta and VHS
    streaming :)

    >Republicans and Democrats
    well you also have alternatives, but most people vote as football teams, they choose one and do not care about anything else.
    you also have a broken voting system, winner takes all is stupid... and that shows, you keep electing stupid people to the job

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  • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday April 22 2019, @04:53PM (2 children)

    by Freeman (732) on Monday April 22 2019, @04:53PM (#833447) Journal

    I find it annoying that everyone uses the term PC for Windows PCs. PC means Personal Computer and fits an Apple Computer, Windows Computer, Linux Computer, FreeBSD Computer, FreeDOS Computer, ReactOS Computer, etc. Perhaps, my next computer will be a Steam Machine, because reasons.

    --
    Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
    • (Score: 2) by driverless on Tuesday April 23 2019, @04:03AM (1 child)

      by driverless (4770) on Tuesday April 23 2019, @04:03AM (#833706)

      Perhaps, my next computer will be a Steam Machine, because reasons.

      One of these [youtu.be] you mean?

      • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Tuesday April 23 2019, @04:37PM

        by Freeman (732) on Tuesday April 23 2019, @04:37PM (#833903) Journal

        As in, build a custom desktop computer and install SteamOS on it, instead of purchasing Windows.

        --
        Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 23 2019, @02:04AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 23 2019, @02:04AM (#833663)

    >PCs and Macs
    linux! :D

    It's the hardware, stu...! No wait, I gotta be nice

    you also have a broken voting system

    Like it's any better with the other systems? Look at UK and NZ and Australia and France and Italy and Germany and Denmark and Belgium and on and on and on... Their governments have all gone whack also. Cameras and copyright and censorship are everywhere. Even Sweden and Norway are starting to crack a little. What makes fifty bickering parties any better than two? Hell! Europe would still be in the midst of feudal warfare if not for American occupation. If anything they prove that the American's two party system is the best of all of them. We just have to pick better parties.

    All these things are the peoples' choice. The biggest issue is denial. Until that is cleared up, everything else is bullshit. It's just like Alcoholics Anonymous, you gotta take that first step.

    Oh, and at the time, very few people could afford to "stream" their material, much less on demand.