February 17 Editorial: On Aircraft Maintenance... and Stuff
From the President: On Aircraft Maintenance and Stuff
When 9/11 businessman widow Beverly Eckert, 54, boarded Continental regional air flight 3407 from Newark, NJ, to Buffalo, NY, on February 12, 2009, to celebrate her late husband’s 58th birthday with friends and family, little did she know she would become part of another airline maintenance tragedy at 10:20pm that day.
The Bombardier Q400 Turboprop operated by Colgan Air, a Virginia based regional carrier, had only been delivered in April of 2008. With less than a year of air time, it ended as a maintenance tragedy that killed the 44 passengers, 4 crew, 1 off duty pilot, and 1 homeowner when it crashed into the homeowner’s house in Clarence Center, NY.
This is the first fatal crash of this Canadian built aircraft, but not its first brush with maintenance issues. The design had been issued a safety alert in 2007 after landing gear failed in two Scandinavian Air (SAS) flights, in which both issues were identified as being caused by improper maintenance. SAS discontinued use of this aircraft type following the incident.
The immediate response has been that the de-icing system is suspect. As stated by one investigator, “If ice forms on the wings, the wings change shape and the plane simply stops flying.”
My primary concern has been that the airline industry and FAA have recently made the statement no death had occurred in USA commercial aircraft in over 5 years. As I have stated, and predicted, that leads to a license to continue bad maintenance practices that MIGHT be curbed once planes start falling from the skies. So far as my flying experiences as of late, I just plane (pun) got tired of reporting all of the minor and some major maintenance issues that have delayed or cancelled my flights even this year in which I have only flown a couple of times.
I do know the subject has caught attention, as we have just received word that ‘Physical Asset Management for the Executive – Caution: Do Not Read This on an Airplane,’ was nominated and just announced last week as a finalist for the Axiom Business Book Awards, to be awarded this week, for the ‘Operations Management / Productivity / TQM’ category. This will make it the first book in our industry to receive such an award. The other two finalists are also excellent books and we will provide a summary in our press release.
Things are getting a little interesting out there as the economy continues to ‘tighten’ up. I have received several recommendations from people I work for or with at my clients. To quote one, “DUCK!” This was in relation to the fact that those who ‘do not’ or that make noise, complain, backstab, slink around, talk behind others backs, lie, cheat and steal, are doing their best to deflect towards those that do the things that they just complain about. The idea, as one put it, is that some managers see present conditions as a chance to play ‘Whack-a-Mole.’
Hmmmm…. Me, quiet? Ducking for cover? Yeah, right. If companies feel the need to eliminate productive individuals from their companies, they get what they deserve.
Personally, I see these times as times of change. Literally, that is what crisis means. So, if we are in a crisis, we are in a time of change. Should I allow some slug determine which direction that change should go? Or should I stand up on that ‘Whack-a-Mole’ table and dare someone to take a swing at me? Let’s just say, I enjoy games like dodgeball… I was the punk with good aim and a strong arm.
I would rather be the one who has a say in the transformation of our industry rather than to run and hide. These are dangerous times where cutbacks are going to cause trouble for reliability, maintenance, energy and environment. Should we duck, hide and live with what we are given? Or should we help our companies in spite of themselves, stand up, provide meaningful input, shake off the whining slugs, and get things done? Dangerous times?... I should have said, ‘exciting times.’
When we come out the other side of all of this, I can honestly say that I for one will know who stood up for their beliefs and who are the real powerhouses of our industry, who are the ones I am willing to work and partner with, and those who thought they were sticking knives into my back. You would be surprised how many people back you when you are willing to stand up front. When this is done, regardless of where I am or what I am doing, I can honestly say that I have done, will do, and will continue to do what I think is right.
Will you?
Editorial by:
Howard W Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP
President, SUCCESS by DESIGN® Reliability Services and Publishing
President, AllAmericanHybrid.com
Editor in Chief, IEEE Dielectric and Electrical Insulation Society Web (http://www.ieee.org/go/deis)Executive Director, Institute of Electrical Motor Diagnostics, Inc.
When 9/11 businessman widow Beverly Eckert, 54, boarded Continental regional air flight 3407 from Newark, NJ, to Buffalo, NY, on February 12, 2009, to celebrate her late husband’s 58th birthday with friends and family, little did she know she would become part of another airline maintenance tragedy at 10:20pm that day.
The Bombardier Q400 Turboprop operated by Colgan Air, a Virginia based regional carrier, had only been delivered in April of 2008. With less than a year of air time, it ended as a maintenance tragedy that killed the 44 passengers, 4 crew, 1 off duty pilot, and 1 homeowner when it crashed into the homeowner’s house in Clarence Center, NY.
This is the first fatal crash of this Canadian built aircraft, but not its first brush with maintenance issues. The design had been issued a safety alert in 2007 after landing gear failed in two Scandinavian Air (SAS) flights, in which both issues were identified as being caused by improper maintenance. SAS discontinued use of this aircraft type following the incident.
The immediate response has been that the de-icing system is suspect. As stated by one investigator, “If ice forms on the wings, the wings change shape and the plane simply stops flying.”
My primary concern has been that the airline industry and FAA have recently made the statement no death had occurred in USA commercial aircraft in over 5 years. As I have stated, and predicted, that leads to a license to continue bad maintenance practices that MIGHT be curbed once planes start falling from the skies. So far as my flying experiences as of late, I just plane (pun) got tired of reporting all of the minor and some major maintenance issues that have delayed or cancelled my flights even this year in which I have only flown a couple of times.
I do know the subject has caught attention, as we have just received word that ‘Physical Asset Management for the Executive – Caution: Do Not Read This on an Airplane,’ was nominated and just announced last week as a finalist for the Axiom Business Book Awards, to be awarded this week, for the ‘Operations Management / Productivity / TQM’ category. This will make it the first book in our industry to receive such an award. The other two finalists are also excellent books and we will provide a summary in our press release.
Things are getting a little interesting out there as the economy continues to ‘tighten’ up. I have received several recommendations from people I work for or with at my clients. To quote one, “DUCK!” This was in relation to the fact that those who ‘do not’ or that make noise, complain, backstab, slink around, talk behind others backs, lie, cheat and steal, are doing their best to deflect towards those that do the things that they just complain about. The idea, as one put it, is that some managers see present conditions as a chance to play ‘Whack-a-Mole.’
Hmmmm…. Me, quiet? Ducking for cover? Yeah, right. If companies feel the need to eliminate productive individuals from their companies, they get what they deserve.
Personally, I see these times as times of change. Literally, that is what crisis means. So, if we are in a crisis, we are in a time of change. Should I allow some slug determine which direction that change should go? Or should I stand up on that ‘Whack-a-Mole’ table and dare someone to take a swing at me? Let’s just say, I enjoy games like dodgeball… I was the punk with good aim and a strong arm.
I would rather be the one who has a say in the transformation of our industry rather than to run and hide. These are dangerous times where cutbacks are going to cause trouble for reliability, maintenance, energy and environment. Should we duck, hide and live with what we are given? Or should we help our companies in spite of themselves, stand up, provide meaningful input, shake off the whining slugs, and get things done? Dangerous times?... I should have said, ‘exciting times.’
When we come out the other side of all of this, I can honestly say that I for one will know who stood up for their beliefs and who are the real powerhouses of our industry, who are the ones I am willing to work and partner with, and those who thought they were sticking knives into my back. You would be surprised how many people back you when you are willing to stand up front. When this is done, regardless of where I am or what I am doing, I can honestly say that I have done, will do, and will continue to do what I think is right.
Will you?
Editorial by:
Howard W Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP
President, SUCCESS by DESIGN® Reliability Services and Publishing
President, AllAmericanHybrid.com
Editor in Chief, IEEE Dielectric and Electrical Insulation Society Web (http://www.ieee.org/go/deis)Executive Director, Institute of Electrical Motor Diagnostics, Inc.
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