I think there are a few different things going on here and even though Boeing may be complicit in a few of these incidents, they shouldn’t be held accountable for all of the incidents.
The engine fire caused by bubble wrap being ingested into the engine is neither a Boeing or United mistake, plane skidding off the runway is likely due to an inexperienced pilot with little experience landing on a wet runway. The panel blowing off the 737 is definitely a Boeing issue. The wheel separating from the hub was likely due to the center bolt plate not being fastened during wheel replacement.
Foreign airline pilots have complained for years about their lack of sleep being given between flights. Foreign airlines in less fortunate countries have a need to hire additional pilots, but they get very few qualified applicants. That’s no secret. Ethiopian Airlines has been in dire need for years. I remember one such flight where passengers on their way to celebrate a religious holiday attempted to fire up a grill inside the cabin causing a fire and crashing the plane.
All of these mishaps the past few months can be shared between the pilots, the airline and the manufacturer. I spoke with several active pilots during COVID and they were concerned with the number of experienced pilots that were being fired because they refused to be vaccinated. You can’t replace experience. It takes at least 5-8 years to develop an airline pilot into a capable, reliable, experienced pilot.
I spent 33 years flying and never had one reported incident that was investigated by the NTSB or the FAA. I did have a few mechanical problems while in flight, but my training and experience guided me through those issues. Staying on schedule is always a main concern to pilots because they are responsible when the flight is late or if they fall behind schedule. This doesn’t sit well with management.
I never took the schedule to heart. Safety was always number one. If I had a late flight and saw that the plane I would be flying had already flown several flights that same day, I even checked the air in the tires. Today, there is no need to do that. Most of the newer planes have tire pressure monitors on each tire that will alert the pilot if a tire has low air pressure.
I do blame at least some of these issues on airlines fast tracking pilots and not taking the necessary time to train each pilot properly. There was a time when United was very much into being safety oriented. If a pilot was scheduled for training in a flight simulator, he would be well advised to get it done on time or take a chance bring grounded until it was done. I have been told that even the U.S. has a pilot shortage.
I think the airlines would do better if they added another 10 minutes between flights, so that pilots could slow down and do things the right way. Give them time to do their walk around and check their paperwork and run their checklists before, during and after the flight. I heard from a few pilots still flying that checklists were being avoided just so they could get the plane into the air on time. That’s a definite mistake. Checklists should never be avoided for any reason.
