China Eastern airliner orders

News media outlets have widely reported China Eastern canceled an order for twenty-four 787s, in favor of purchasing forty-five 737s. Not as widely reported is the airline also ordered fifteen A330s from Airbus. I interpret these actions as dissatisfaction with the delivery delays of Boeing’s Dreamliner and a tactical adjustment on route structure. Hopefully it is not indicative of dissatisfaction with the Dreamliner itself.

Details and Credibility

At yesterday's briefing on the fuselage rupture of a Southwest Airlines 737, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) used an airplane model as a visual aid. On their model, the horizontal stabilizer points down (anhedral). The horizontal stabilizer of 737s actually point up (dihedral). It would increase my confidence in the NTSB if they had put the model together correctly.




References:
Wong, Alex. Close-up Look at 737 Fuselage Damage. 2011. Photograph. Getty Images, Washington, DC. Picture This. The Seattle Times, 05 Apr. 2011. Web. 06 Apr. 2011. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/picturethis/2014693019_pt_sw737.html.

"737-300 with Winglets." CAD 3-View Drawings for Airport Planning Purposes. The Boeing Company. Web. 06 Apr. 2011. http://www.boeing.com/commercial/airports/dwgs/7373w.zip.

Southwest 737 emergency

The Southwest 737 (N632SW) that suffered an in-flight fuselage rupture and resulting rapid decompression yesterday was a 737-3H4 Classic. The model series (-300/400/500) was last produced in the year 2000. Boeing built almost 2000 737-Classics. The Classic-series was replaced by the 737 Next Generation (-600/700/800/900), which remains in production.

I have not yet read what caused the fuselage rupture. Regardless of the cause, I commend the flight crew for successfully handling the emergency.

The 737 is designed with controlled area breakaway zones. This design feature may have limited the structural failure, much as it did with the 1988 Aloha Airlines incident on a 737-200. I have read Southwest Airlines has eighty-one 737-Classics subject to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airworthiness Directive (AD) related to skin fatigue. According to a Southwest Airlines news release today, all eighty-one aircraft are grounded pending completion of "aggressive inspection."

Despite this unfortunate incident, I have no concern about flying in a well-maintained 737. Southwest has a reputation for maintaining their aircraft well. More 737s have been produced than any other jet airliner series and they are the backbone for many of the world's airlines. While I believe the 737 is, and will continue to be, a good and safe airliner, I look forward to Boeing committing to build a successor, the 797.