Glad I wasn't on this flight!

[MrsNick]

http://news.aol.com/article/southwe...e/southwest-plane-had-hole-in-fuselage/454510

 

[Pinnie]

Their schedule was a bit wonky yesterday when I flew them. There were quite a few delays.

pinnie

 

[Minnie824]

We're flying Southwest in a little over 2 weeks and this makes me really nervous!

 

[kaytieeldr]

I don't see why flying an airline two weeks from now would scare you. A few years ago, while I was in Florida, "my" airline - USAir - lost a plane in a crash. When I called to see about cancelling my return ticket (yes, okay, I mini-panicked), I was reminded of the rarity - nay, the virtual impossibility - of one airline experiencing two crashes any kind of close together.

Southwest WILL reinspect all their planes.

 

[Pinnie]

We're flying Southwest in a little over 2 weeks and this makes me really nervous!

Why? I flew them yesterday from MCO to Birmingham AL to Chicago and on to Detroit without a second thought.

Next week I am flying SWA from DTW to BNA.

A few weeks ago I "should" have flow SWA to MDW from DTW but I chose to make the 4 hour drive. On the way home some guy rearended my car. I should have flown!

pinnie

 

[AllyBri]

Is this the 2nd one? Did SW have an emergency landing yesterday also?

 

[jsilvers]

I don't see why flying an airline two weeks from now would scare you. A few years ago, while I was in Florida, "my" airline - USAir - lost a plane in a crash. When I called to see about cancelling my return ticket (yes, okay, I mini-panicked), I was reminded of the rarity - nay, the virtual impossibility - of one airline experiencing two crashes any kind of close together.

Hate to be pedantic, but ... US Airways actually has experienced two major accidents in close succession. Flight 1016 crashed in Charlotte on July 2, 1994, killing 37 of 57 aboard. On September 8, 1994, flight 427 crashed near Aliquippa, PA, killing all 132 on board.

I'm not aware of any connection between the two accidents (the first was apparently caused by wind shear; the second by a mechanical defect). But, sadly, it is possible, despite how safe air travel has become.

 

[snowbunny]

I don't see why flying an airline two weeks from now would scare you.

Perhaps because Southwest - which I do fly frequently - colluded with its FAA inspector to delay required inspections of older 737s for fuselage cracks that could lead to incidents such as this.

I was reminded of the rarity - nay, the virtual impossibility - of one airline experiencing two crashes any kind of close together.

Statistically, a crash one day does not change at all the odds of a crash the next.

 

[uva185]

I don't see why flying an airline two weeks from now would scare you. A few years ago, while I was in Florida, "my" airline - USAir - lost a plane in a crash. When I called to see about cancelling my return ticket (yes, okay, I mini-panicked), I was reminded of the rarity - nay, the virtual impossibility - of one airline experiencing two crashes any kind of close together.

Southwest WILL reinspect all their planes.

Maybe because Southwest was accused by the FAA of flying unsafe planes back in March 2008 and apparently did not correct the issue. Air crashes and problems are rare as long as the airline performs the proper maintenance and repairs.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/06/southwest.planes/index.html
Discount air carrier Southwest Airlines flew thousands of passengers on aircraft that federal inspectors said were "unsafe" as recently as last March, according to detailed congressional documents obtained by CNN...

...Calling it "one of the worst safety violations" he has ever seen, Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minnesota, is expected to call a hearing as soon as possible to ask why the airline put its passengers in danger.

 

[sorul82?]

There was also an emergency landing today in Orlando. I heard it around lunchtime but it sounds like maybe a false alarm?

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20090714/BREAKINGNEWS/90714025/1086/rss07

 

[kevgraub]

Maybe because Southwest was accused by the FAA of flying unsafe planes back in March and apparently did not correct the issue. Air crashes and problems are rare as long as the airline performs the proper maintenance and repairs.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/06/southwest.planes/index.html
Discount air carrier Southwest Airlines flew thousands of passengers on aircraft that federal inspectors said were "unsafe" as recently as last March, according to detailed congressional documents obtained by CNN...

...Calling it "one of the worst safety violations" he has ever seen, Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minnesota, is expected to call a hearing as soon as possible to ask why the airline put its passengers in danger.

Just to clarify a little, the missing inspections took place back in 2007 and the CNN article cited above is from March of 2008.

I'm not saying that there could not have been more recent problems, but it sounds like the violations noted in the article above were from over 2 years ago and the article was March of 2008. Definitely still troubling, but saying that the incident took place in "March" is not completely accurate.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Hate to be pedantic, but ... US Airways actually has experienced two major accidents in close succession. Flight 1016 crashed in Charlotte on July 2, 1994, killing 37 of 57 aboard. On September 8, 1994, flight 427 crashed near Aliquippa, PA, killing all 132 on board.

Yeah, it was the September 8 one. Wow. Fifteen years ago. And yet I can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday

 

[Uncleromulus]

My confidence level in airline aircraft maintenance is slighty above "none at all"---

 

[n2mm]

As long as everyone is OK and there was a safe landing you can't hope for much more. I guess my expectations are a little difference than most. Any landing you can walk away from is a good flight....IMHO.

 

[uva185]

Just to clarify a little, the missing inspections took place back in 2007 and the CNN article cited above is from March of 2008.

I'm not saying that there could not have been more recent problems, but it sounds like the violations noted in the article above were from over 2 years ago and the article was March of 2008. Definitely still troubling, but saying that the incident took place in "March" is not completely accurate.

My mistake! Thank you for pointing that out. Yesterday was a very looong day.

Even so I think that makes the scenario even worse because WN definitely had more than adequate time to reinspect every plane and keep up with FAA regulations since then.

It's not the random errors in aviation that scare me, its the repeated problems that scare me because (generally speaking) there is a structural defect in the equipment that has not been addressed or the airline itself (again generally speaking) is not staying current with mandated maintenance.

 

[MiaSRN62]

My 19 yo dd is on SW flight 113 right now (was not thrilled with the flight "number" ! )...she's in the air, en route to Nashville with a connection on to Jacksonville. Her flight actually left 10 min early this morning out of Philly. She should be landing soon. We were concerned yesterday that there might be alot of delays due to the inspection. But today, everything so far seems normal.


Maria

 

[gracie1]

It would definately make me nervous knowing that the FAA has been after them about safety inspections and having a piece tear off. You never know what could happen to a plane regardless of the airline you are flying. I mean hey, you could hit a bird. But what bothers me is the FAA was involved with southwest, they've had fines in the past and now a tear in the plane.
But I know people (and many on here) swear by southwest.

 

[kevgraub]

My mistake! Thank you for pointing that out. Yesterday was a very looong day.

Even so I think that makes the scenario even worse because WN definitely had more than adequate time to reinspect every plane and keep up with FAA regulations since then.

It's not the random errors in aviation that scare me, its the repeated problems that scare me because (generally speaking) there is a structural defect in the equipment that has not been addressed or the airline itself (again generally speaking) is not staying current with mandated maintenance.

I completely understand, I've definitely been there too!

If the damages to this plane can be linked to the issues SW had in the recent past, it is very troubling. Actually, the fact they did what they did at all is troubling, but if they got things corrected and were doing things right at the time of this incident, then I'm less concerned about the airline.

 

[Kim&Chris]

My confidence level in airline aircraft maintenance is slighty above "none at all"---

You and me both.

I've always been a very faithful SWA customer, but this is insane. People can quote stats all they want, but the reality is that SWA clearly has issues with properly & safely maintaining their planes.

 

[Teacher03]

We've always flown SW, but not anymore. My DD is booking a flight home from DC and she is not flying SW.