Todos
← Back to Squawk list
An Old Airplane is Not an Unsafe One
The recent crash of a leased-Cubana Boeing 737 has caused the media to focus on the age of the aircraft. The Mexican registered airplane crashed on takeoff from Havana on a domestic flight to Holguin. The aircraft involved in the accident was a thirty-nine-year-old Boeing 737-200 that was manufactured in 1979. The accident is under investigation, though the media is focusing on the age of the aircraft as a primary cause. (airlinegeeks.com) Mais...
Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Oh how true that headline is..Buffalo Airlines operates DC-3's in the arctic region and Nolinor operates a small fleet of B732's. Be interesting to see what the investigation turns up and wish the media would shut up the speculations.
From what I've seen so is the carrier doesn't put safety first. At least when it comes to stuffing their aircraft full of pax and cargo. I imagine their maintenance isn't exactly top notch either. We shall see what the investigation turns up.
I think the past few years have shown us all that the news media cares little beyond sensationalist headlines. Is a nearly 40-year-old 732 less safe today than when it came off the line? Technically, yes. There are a hundreds of things which 40 years of cycles, wear, and psychical age could have caused to deteriorate somehow to a point where a failure could occur. However, we know how and when to check for these things and know how to fix them when we can, replace them when we can't, and retire them when we have to. Is the aircraft an unsafe one? No.
Trouble is, the media stopped listening at "Technically, yes." and that's the headline.
Trouble is, the media stopped listening at "Technically, yes." and that's the headline.
No question that an old 1956 Chevy Bel Air (one of the most beautiful cars ever made) is likely going to conk out more often and perilously than say a 2018 Chevy regardless of being very well maintained. The problem is that cheap airlines are operating more and more 737-200s bought for a few bucks and maintain them with total disregard to the O&M books issued by Boeing. Fly at your own risk.
Planes and Cars are like apples and oranges... If they are maintained to standards, they are just as safe as the newer planes, and in many cases I would prefer to fly on a -200 than a -900!
I agree with that, sparkie..and the 1956 Chevy Bel-Are actually conks out less than newer cars in a side by side comparison of lets say a 2016 model (comparing it to a brand new 2018 is a rad unfair)..newer cars are too computerized and 1 little thing acts up and they quit.
I myself rather fly on an old B744 or B763 than a new B789 or A359..also look at that AN225..been around since 86...yes it was mothballed for a term, but they did not redo the airframe and it has hauled record loads across the world..talk about stress on an airframe and yet it, as you sparkie and others noted has kept maintained.
I myself rather fly on an old B744 or B763 than a new B789 or A359..also look at that AN225..been around since 86...yes it was mothballed for a term, but they did not redo the airframe and it has hauled record loads across the world..talk about stress on an airframe and yet it, as you sparkie and others noted has kept maintained.
Go ahead Sparkie64, be my guest fly on any -200 around and hopefully have a safe trip, there are plenty of them in Africa and some in Latin America too. I prefer newer planes from the 700 onward operated by SAFE AIRLINES not cheap outfits like this a many others.
Excuse me but Nolinor and a few others run the -200 up here and are safe airlines. Just because it's old, doesn't make it unsafe. Heck you can get -700 and up series, run by a so so airline or even a good airline, and have bad issues > Southwest engine etc.
" Africa and some in Latin America too" - you will note that I put in a qualifying statement "If they are maintained to standards" - That means that they are in the Aging A/C program.
