Question

Quality Control and the Boeing 787

​Source: McCartney, Scott.​ "How to Inspect Every Piece of a Widebody​ Airplane." http://www.cetusnews.com/life/How-to-Inspect-Every-Piece-of-a-Widebody-Airplane.B1xPm2I4t-.html, posted

​8/30/2017.

Imagine​ you're buying a​ $270 million car.​ You'd want to kick the tires pretty hard.​ That's what airlines do with new airplanes. Delivering one widebody airplane is a big

deallong dash—each

plane has a list price roughly the cost of a​ high-rise hotel.

Carriers like American Airlines station their own engineers at Boeing factories to watch their flying machines get built and check parts as they arrive. Then they send flight​ attendants, mechanics and pilots for what are called shakedown inspections.

​"The rubber meets the road​ here," says an American​ manager, as he begins checking a brand new Boeing 787.​ "It's inspected and​ it's inspected and​ it's inspected. And yet we still find​ things." American is taking delivery of 57 new planes this year. Boeing does its own​ testing, but buyers do their own extra

inspectionlong dash—and

note an average of 140 items on a​ plane's punchlist.

Five flight​ attendants, a couple of mechanical experts and an American test pilot attack the​ 285-passenger plane. All the doors and panels are opened for inspection. Flight attendants shake each seat​ violently, grab the headrest and pull it up and jerk the cord on each entertainment controller. They test power​ ports, USB​ ports, audio jacks and the entertainment system. They open all tray​ tables, turn all lights on and off. They recline each seat with​ knee-knocking force. They flush all the​ toilets, blow fake smoke into smoke​ alarms, make sure all prerecorded emergency messages sound when required.

Inside the​ cockpit, an American test pilot flies the jet to its​ limits, making sure alarms sound when he increases air speed or slows the plane down to stall speed. He turns it sharply until​ "bank angle" warnings sound. Each engine gets shut down and restarted in the air. Every backup and emergency system is put into use to make sure it works.

Critical Thinking Questions

1. Why do airlines feel the need to make quality​ inspections?

A. The​ $270 million price tag.

B. Pilots like to check emergency systems.

C. Manufacturers sometimes miss errors.

D. All of the above.

2. Who participates in shakedown​ inspections?

A. Flight attendants only.

B. Boeing engineers.

C. Top management from the airline buying the plane.

D. Test pilots and other company representatives.

3. Flight attendants test the 787s

A. exterior paint.

B. ​seats, entertainment​ systems, and power parts.

C. air speed.

D. legroom.

4. Inspection on a commercial jet takes place

A. before delivery to the customer.

B. during the first scheduled flight.

C. before the contract is signed.

D. at the part​ supplier's shipping dock.

Answer 1

1. option (C) Manufacturers sometimes miss errors.

Explanation: Airlines company wants to make sure that they don't leave any stone unturned because sometimes manufacturer miss some errors while checking an aircraft. Even after the rigorous checking they still find errors in the aircraft.

2. option (D) Test pilots and other company representatives.

Explanation: for eg. American airlines station their own engineers at Boeing factories to watch their aircraft get built and check parts as they arrive and they send flight attendants, mechanics and pilots for the shakedown inspections.

3. option (B) seats, entertainment​ systems, and power parts.

Explanation: Flight attendants shake each seat, they check all table trays, electronic items, lights, smoke alarms and make sure all prerecorded emergency messages sound when required.

4. option (A) before delivery to the customer.

Explanation: All these testing and inspections are done at Boeing factories.