Discovery of loose bolts threatens wider 737 Max crisis for Boeing
ft.com
ft.com
It remains to be seen if Boeing can discover a cogent explanation for this systemic failure of adherence to QC protocol that is limited to the door plug installation.
If not, it is a severe indictment of manufacturing quality control in general, indicating a more comprehensive inspection of all aircraft made on the involved assembly lines or even of all aircraft manufactured during the affected timeframe.
That could require hundreds of hours or more of inspection time for all affected aircraft, and could even involve significant disassembly, potentially grounding aircraft for months.
As the saying goes, you can’t test quality into a product.
At some point we probably will have to throw in the towel, which would probably kill Boeing, at least for civilian flight.
Exactly why the MAX was "certified" to fly again, despite the fundamental issues uncovered after the two most recent crashes. That plane should never have been allowed to fly, full stop.
It goes a bit deeper than the MAX though.. The 787 also has.. ..issues. And the 777-X is also 4-5 years late with serious certification issues.
More discussion here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38917820