B738 'pickle fork' crack sees aircraft withdrawn

[dajop]

In contrast, the head of engineering (a long winded title) has zero public recognition, unlike the face of AJ.

I don't know, the "head of engineering" has a certain gravitas that sounds like the right person to be the public face of aircraft maintenance issues, irrespective of his public recognition. To be honest, outside the AFF bubble and investor circles, AJ probably isn't that well known publicly either.

When CEO's are out there talking about the company (as opposed to their personal agenda), they are not addressing the public either (although it may appear that way) - they are addressing investors. The QAN share price has recovered today 1% and it's movements are certainly not out of kilter with normal movements over the last few months, so maybe there's no need to wheel out AJ to address the public investors.

 

[moa999]

Agreed.
There is too much general media attention on the 'celebrity' CEO, Chef etc.

Far more relevant to have a manager much closer to the issue giving commentary.

 

[RooFlyer]

When CEO's are out there talking about the company (as opposed to their personal agenda), they are not addressing the public either (although it may appear that way) - they are addressing investors.

I dunno. There is always a media release made at the same time, so then the CEO is most definitely talking to the public, unless they are confident that their words won’t be on-reported.

And talking to the ‘market’ includes potential investors, so again, Jane Public.

 

[dajop]

I dunno. There is always a media release made at the same time, so then the CEO is most definitely talking to the public, unless they are confident that their words won’t be on-reported.

And talking to the ‘market’ includes potential investors, so again, Jane Public.

They are releasing information to the public, yes, but talking to investors. I bet any communication is designed with investors (or potential investors) in mind. IME, that seems to be the #1 concern of CEO's ("what will the investors think" ... or in most instances "what will the analysts think"), Maybe I'm just getting (even more) cynical in my old age.

 

[milehighclub]

QF as a company has long traded on its reputation for safety, so when an adverse event occurs, the CEO ought appear and take media questions, not hide.

But a CEO did make a statement:
CEO of Qantas Domestic, Andrew David said: “As people would expect with Qantas, we’ve gone above what was required to check our aircraft well ahead of schedule."

I notice that Korean Air has no statement on their website or any comment from their CEO. Or Southwest. Or Jeju Air.

So far you've blamed AJ for not addressing it, made a reference that, could an engineer be sacked for not noticing it and that the PR department have done a bad job and are over paid.

What has happened is that an airworthiness notice was issued, an airline went above and beyond the requirements of the directive, 3 aircraft have been removed out of service and the checks, which were allowed to be done over 7 months, were done in a matter of days.

The QF bashing is getting tired.

 

[Melburnian1]

But a CEO did make a statement:
CEO of Qantas Domestic, Andrew David said: “As people would expect with Qantas, we’ve gone above what was required to check our aircraft well ahead of schedule."

I notice that Korean Air has no statement on their website or any comment from their CEO. Or Southwest. Or Jeju Air.

So far you've blamed AJ for not addressing it, made a reference that, could an engineer be sacked for not noticing it and that the PR department have done a bad job and are over paid...

In their own nations, other airlines may have different protocols. Very few Australians would hold shares in any publicly listed (or private) South Korean airline.

It's not 'QF bashing.' Unlike VA, which did not find a problem with any of its 19 relevant aircraft, QF has found one with three. The buck stops with the top, and the public (and investors) know that to be Mr Joyce, not the low profile Mr David.

Thousands of Australians have shares in QF. The share price has dropped 15 cents (as at 1501 AEDT today) since the adverse publicity. Not cataclysmic, and as always share price movements may be the result of multiple factors, but tell that to a retiree or other investor who listed their shares for sale and hoped for the higher price.

WN does not fly to or within Australia. Nor does H1.

 

[dajop]

IThousands of Australians have shares in QF. The share price has dropped 15 cents (as at 1501 AEDT today) since the adverse publicity. Not cataclysmic, and as always share price movements may be the result of multiple factors, but tell that to a retiree or other investor who listed their shares for sale and hoped for the higher price.

If investors are so concerned about a 2% swing in an airline stock, they shouldn't be investing in an airline in the first place. To put that 15c in context, below are some recent prices of QAN. In the same timeframe since 29 Oct, AIZ, lost 3% and regained 2%, down 1% overall since then.
31 May: $5.55
28 June: $5.40
31 July: $5.71
30 August: $6.11
30 Sept: $6.29
7 Oct: $6.45
16 Oct: $6.69
25 Oct: $6.25
30 Oct: $6.57
Now :$6.46

 

[DC3]

Now my inbox is full of pickle forks.

 

[moa999]

It's not 'QF bashing.' Unlike VA, which did not find a problem with any of its 19 relevant aircraft, QF has found one with three.

Thousands of Australians have shares in QF. The share price has dropped 15 cents (as at 1501 AEDT today) since the adverse publicity.

Simple luck for VA (or the cracks are not big enough to be visible yet). The 19 aircraft VA inspected are about as old as QFs 33.

QAN closed up 4c today.

 

[sjk]

Is it possible for you contribute without having a go at someone?

Dude.

While your efforts to puff yourself up into some sort of ‘enforcer’ are mildly endearing, not everyone appreciates the politics and misogyny that the OP repeatedly sprinkles through his thesaurus-dependent ramblings, nor does everyone agree with his views on how an airline should best handle its PR. So taking issue with his purportedly authoritative tone seems perfectly reasonable in this instance.

 

[RooFlyer]

While your efforts to puff yourself up into some sort of ‘enforcer’ are mildly endearing, not everyone appreciates the politics and misogyny that the OP repeatedly sprinkles through his thesaurus-dependent ramblings

Oh for goodness sake. ‘Enforcer’? Really?
As always, if you don’t like the content, you don’t have to read it.

And yet here you are.

Participate and be nice, or don’t participate, eh?

 

[DC3]

... Participate and be nice, or don’t participate, eh?

[mod hat off]

 

[Melburnian1]

A further development via two 'younger' aircraft found with cracks of an airline (JT) that Australian Government staff have been banned from flying on:

'Pickle cracks' found on newer 737s spark fresh calls for Qantas, Virgin inspections

Indonesia's aviation authority has revealed budget airline Lion Air has found "pickle fork" cracks on two of its younger Boeing 737s.

www.watoday.com.au

 

[moa999]

VA have now checked aircraft down to 18k.
QF has also effectively (no aircraft between 18k and 22.6k)

'Pickle cracks' found on newer 737s spark fresh calls for Qantas, Virgin inspections

Indonesia's aviation authority has revealed budget airline Lion Air has found "pickle fork" cracks on two of its younger Boeing 737s.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Melburnian1]

In his weekly 'The Australian' aviation column at the back of the business section on Friday 8 November pilot Byron Bailey says that because the airframe has an expected life of '90000 cycles', finding a crack about an inch long after '30000" (and, while he omits it, in some cases after fewer takeoffs/landings) is a 'matter of grave concern.'

He also says that if using a borescope, inspecting that area of the aircraft only takes about an hour.