FAA Issues 737 AD, Southwest Points Finger at Boeing

It's all about cycles.

It's about time Mr. Babbitt.

Most Airlines would have waited until the directive got issued before doing anything.Notice that Southwest did the grounding and Flight Cancellations immediately after the event, without having to be told to and had just about completed their inspections and back to a normal schedule before the FAA ever got around to issuing their inspection order.
Just a difference in corporate attitude and 1 good reason why they stay among the top in the various customer ratings.

It's all the cycles. Remember the aloha 737-200 tah lost the front section because of all the island hoping?

It's all the cycles. Remember the aloha 737-200 that lost the front section because of all the island hoping?

I've got to agree with Allen and John. It's all about the cycles. The A/C I flew on Sunday went AUS->TPA->FLL->JAX->BNA->CMH

Metal fatigue, and the number of flights the planes have flown.

Update - Now it's up to 5 planes......
and a ret. pilot stating that maint records have been known
to be fudged.
Source: Suntimes today [ comment sectiom ]

Look up the history on the comet. The first few crashed because of metal fatigue. It was before they knew what pressureizing and depressureizing would do to the plane. Crush it like a coke can. Same type of thing going on here.

Very scary.

While these birds aren't that old as far as aircraft years go, I think that Manufacturers and Airlines are going to have to take a look at utilization. Southwest has made utilization a cornerstone of their operation.Still fast but in their very early days, they had a 10 minute turnaround on their planes at Airports other than DAL. You could depart in LIT and by the time you made it to your car, look and see that same plane taking off again. I think that has streched to about 20 minutes now but that is still far quicker than some of the others and over the course of 10 years, that could equate into many more cycles than what is thought to be the norm.

More like check the tire, oil, fill the JP-8 and go! or
Choke and puke at 36,000.

This event occured on a -300 and unlike the above post has said, the -300 is an older aircraft. Couple this with the high frequency of cycles as a Southwest aircraft and you have a high chance of metal/aluminum fatique.
What is sad about this event is that the country that pioneered commercial aviation (the USA) now flies, on average, the oldest fleet of commercial aircraft in the world. In addition, cost pressures have removed pax amenities such as meals, IFE and other pax comforts. Foreign carriers offer newer aircraft and higher pax services. As a former airline employee who lost my beloved career, a commercial aviation enthusiast and a patriotic American I am saddend by the fact that the US is losing it's lead in the last industry we lead the world in.

Does the USA actually fly, on average, the oldest fleet of commercial aviation in the WORLD? The B737 isn't that old since original design. Where is that source of information, Mr. Bartlett, with all due respect.

Thank You for your response Amy. If you research into the average fleet age of the 'developed' world's commercial aircraft fleets you will discover that American flagged carriers operate one of the world's oldest. The 737 began life in 1965 with the launch customer Lufthansa with an order of 21/24. The B737 has been the worlds most 'modified' aircraft over time. The 737 (which I love along with all Boeing commercial aircraft) is an old airframe as evidenced by the introduction of the 'next gen' series and Boeing's announcement of a possible 'clean sheet' replacement for the model. I apologize for the error of inferrring the entire world. I am only trying to communicate that as a patriotic American who values America's lead in aerospace and commercial air transportation I am concerned about the gradual demise of our leadership in this area.