AIRLINE SAFETY - Boeing to All Airlines, Inspect Older 737s

"Airline Safety Checks: Reactive to Mishaps or Problem Prevention?"
PBS Newshour 4/4/2011

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Excerpt from transcript

JOHN GOGLIA, former member, National Transportation Safety Board: Well, it's quite significant in dealing with this particular issue.

What remains unanswered is what is going to happen to the areas adjacent to the damage of the rest of the airplane. Most of our actions today and in the past have been reactive to events that have occurred. And as these airplanes age, at some point, we need to do a complete body scan, if you will, on the fuselage to determine the condition, not just look in the areas where we have had problems before, but to be proactive and look at the entire airplane for a change.

DUH, no kidding.

Problem, this would require a very big expenditure by airlines, that will have to be passed on in higher ticket prices. So, flying Joe Public, how much is your life worth?

Please, listen carefully to the full video and John Goglia's explanations and suggestions. We have the data, we know that airplanes that land and take off frequently are more stressed which means more chance for cracks. So why are airlines (and the FAA) only reactive to problems? In the long run, it would be smarter to be proactive, find problems BEFORE incidents like this occur.

The full-body inspections need only be done as ANY airplane gets older AND after the total takeoffs and landing reach some number.

One example from my Naval career, is what is done with landing gear on Naval Aircraft. After a limit of landings is reach the landing gear is replaced. The old landing gear is sent back for inspection and reworked then put back in stock, or discarded if cracks (example) are found.

This inspection regime would also provide more data to allow manufacturers and airlines to predict when a given airplane model will need more rework or repair. This is how the landing gear limit for Naval Aircraft was decided so they could be replaced BEFORE they caused a problem.

ALSO

"Scrutiny Lags as Jetliners Show the Effects of Age" by CHRISTOPHER DREW and JAD MOUAWA, New York Times 4/17/2011