Have there ever been any cockpit blackouts on 737s?..

[UALdave]

I ask, because after reading this article: http://online.wsj.com/article/APa2fa...6b5e8db2a.html I would feel safer flying on an airplane in the 737 family then I would an airplane in the A320 family. I realize that even small GA aircraft have had these blackouts occur, but I've never heard of one happening on a Boeing aircraft.

[Peter Kesternich]

It isn't known how many of the 633 A320-series jets operated by U.S. carriers are flying without the required modification because airlines do not have to notify the FAA about each one. United said it has completed work on about 90 percent of its fleet of 152 Airbuses covered by the FAA's directive, and Delta said it has made the fix on 124 of its 126 planes. USAirways said it has modified "more than 60 percent" of its 189 affected Airbuses.

Given this information from the WSJ article (see link in the previous post), I'd say the A320 family isn't less safe than the 737s these days, even if the 737s never had experienced such a failure (which I doubt).

[Gabriel]

Also, I'm not so sure that it's a "hardware" failure or a pilot failure while performing some troubleshooting in an initial, mild failure. For example, turning off the "good" electical system while troubleshooting the other's electrical system failure.

Or in the case of last year, departing Newark, shutting off both electrical systems simultaneously while troubleshooting a smoke alarm (they should have done it one at a time). Yet, this failure did leave them with standby instruments and essential power. I don't understand why any kind of electrical failure would leave the standby instruments out of the game. I though that they were energized by their own, dedicated, independent, built-in battery.

In the A320, much worse than loosing all the instrument and leaving the cockpit and cabin copmpletely dark, a TOTAL electrical failure means that your flightsticks are now part of the decoration. You have no elevator, aileron, spoiler, flaps, slats, nothing. Only rudder pedals and manual pitch trim. And I've heard nothing reporting such a loss of control, so I can only guess that there never was a TOTAL electrical failure.

And I don't see how anything short of a TOTAL electrical failure would leave the cockpit completely dark. So I think that the WSJ is misleading. Not that the incidents didn't happen, but perhaps not exactlya s decribed there.

I wanted a more reliable source but I couldn't find any referecne to United flight 731 in the NTSB, the FAA, AvHerald and aviation-safety.net web sites (could have been my failure to find it, though).

[snydersnapshots]

Originally Posted by UALdave

I ask, because after reading this article: http://online.wsj.com/article/APa2fa...6b5e8db2a.html I would feel safer flying on an airplane in the 737 family then I would an airplane in the A320 family. I realize that even small GA aircraft have had these blackouts occur, but I've never heard of one happening on a Boeing aircraft.

If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going. I'm not a big fan of Airbus, but then I don't know the systems either, so it's probably a little irrational on my part. Having said that...there won't be a Chevy parked in my driveway either. Call me "brand loyal."

[Deadstick]

The thing I find annoying about the Airbus's I've flown on is that they're so damn noisy when the gear and flaps move.

[Gabriel]

Originally Posted by Deadstick

The thing I find annoying about the Airbus's I've flown on is that they're so damn noisy when the gear and flaps move.

And I didn't like the livery of one I've flown...

[Peter Kesternich]

Originally Posted by Gabriel

And I didn't like the livery of one I've flown...

*lol.. great reply...

Originally Posted by Deadstick

The thing I find annoying about the Airbus's I've flown on is that they're so damn noisy when the gear and flaps move.

This is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard... I am pretty sure that no aircraft manufacturer has design requirements about the gear and flap noise. And quite obviously, you have never sat on a 777 when it deploys the slats...

[Deadstick]

Originally Posted by Peter Kesternich

*lol.. great reply...



This is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard... I am pretty sure that no aircraft manufacturer has design requirements about the gear and flap noise. And quite obviously, you have never sat on a 777 when it deploys the slats...

meh

[brianw999]

I have three basic requirements to be met by any aircraft that I fly on.

1. It must take off.
2. It must cruise.
3. It must land in one piece.

Any departure from those parameters is unacceptable. Other than that, I couldn't give a damn who makes it.

Two of the smoothest flights and landings I ever had were on TU154's of Balkanair. I congratulated the captain on the second flight.....but was admittedly a little concerned when he replied "thank you sir......you have to be good to fly these things" !!

[Peter Kesternich]

Originally Posted by brianw999

(...)Two of the smoothest flights and landings I ever had were on TU154's of Balkanair. I congratulated the captain on the second flight.....but was admittedly a little concerned when he replied "thank you sir......you have to be good to fly these things" !!

*lol... but the same is also true of the MD-11 for example.

[Airfoilsguy]

Originally Posted by brianw999

I have three basic requirements to be met by any aircraft that I fly on.

1. It must take off.
2. It must cruise.
3. It must land in one piece.

Any departure from those parameters is unacceptable. Other than that, I couldn't give a damn who makes it.

Two of the smoothest flights and landings I ever had were on TU154's of Balkanair. I congratulated the captain on the second flight.....but was admittedly a little concerned when he replied "thank you sir......you have to be good to fly these things" !!

I will ad one to the list.

4. It is not Russian