Is it ever time to not dump on Boeing! UK 737-800 almost crashes on take-off from software glitch.

[thewayne]

The jet cleared the end of the runway with just under 300 meters remaining and sailed over the A38 (major highway) with 30 meters of clearance!

The culprit? Something called Auto-Throttle. The pilots, per standard procedure, set the take-off thrust to 92.8%. Then somehow the plane dialed itself down to 84.5%, giving it a take-off speed of about 150 knots, which isn't very much.

During the subsequent investigation, "Boeing told investigators looking into the incident that they were aware of a “long history of nuisance disconnects during takeoff mode engagements”."

Uhhh.... you're aware of a "LONG HISTORY OF NUISANCE DISCONNECTS" and you haven't fixed it?!!! WTF?!!!

The article goes on to relate the incident in April of a FedEx cargo plane landing in Turkey WITHOUT THE FRONT LANDING GEAR DEPLOYED! It somehow managed to stay on the runway and stop safely.

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/tui-boeing-flight-bristol-disaster-avoided-b2558536.html

https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/06/07/2032214/boeing-passenger-jet-nearly-crashes-due-to-software-glitch

Comments

[thewayne]

I was thinking of Heinlein's list of skills that a person should be able to do as you listed things.  A woman I worked with a few jobs ago, a girlfriend of hers wanted to enlist in the Air Force and wanted someone to go with her to the recruiter, so she went.  And while she was waiting, another recruiter asked her if she wanted to take the test, just for fun.  She decided 'what the heck' and scored crazy high.  Had amazing color/pattern matching skills.  And she went ahead and enlisted, and ended up a flight stewardess, I think just post-Vietnam.  And her friend?  Failed the test.  Another friend of mine, this lady is less than 5' tall and probably 90 lbs sopping wet, was a jet engine mechanic.

[acelightning73]

I have tried all my life to be a Heinlein Human. I wasn't sexy enough to be a Heinlein Woman, nor was I red-haired. But I always like to know how things work, so I can fix them when I have to. And having a diverse range of skills is a survival trait; you never know when you might need to deliver a baby aboard a plane while talking someone on the phone through how to start the barbecue grill.

The petite ones are more agile at getting into the weird spaces around engines.