because it's dramatic. I look at this statistically. There are over 10M takeoffs and landings in the U.S. per year, and our safety record is pretty damn good. But any time you have this kind of volume, you probably will have a few incidents and close calls. It is what it is!

Yes it was Boeing 737-300. The oldest of the Boeing 737 line still in operation in the U.S. I believe the older 737-100 and 200 are probably flying in some 3rd world country today. And Southwest will always have more cycles than other airlines due to their short haul operation, but they still have a damn good track record.

I have no idea if there was a potential manufacturing flaw. You would think there would have been a number of other significant incidents. I have no idea if the FAA will be hit with budget cuts. Let's wait until Boeing comes out with its findings before jumping to conclusions.

Re jumping to conclusions - remember in 1978 an American Airlines DC-10 crashed after takeoff from O'Hare. One of the wing engines fell off. Talk about front page headlines for days, and rightfully so due to the loss of life. But the initial reaction by the govt was to ground all DC-10s. Their initial conclusion was that there is something seriously wrong with ALL DC-10s. A year later, the conclusion was American Airlines maintenance was at fault for that particular aircraft. I think I read it on the 35 page of the LA Times, but not after McDonnell Douglas, and other airlines flying the DC-10 were trashed by the media.

So let's wait for the findings.

inicky, having been on the receiving end many times, I can tell you without hesitation that FAA inspectors DO NOT inspect airplanes. They inspect the paperwork involved in maintaining them. I don't have enough fingers and toes to count the number of times I've been 'ramp checked' by the feds. They want to see pilot's certificate, medical certificate, aircraft log book, inspection documents, etc. The individual airline or manufacturer does the work and documents it. The feds only want to see the paperwork. So when an airplane tries to become a convertible, it is the fault of the airline maintenance department, or a manufacturing defect. Remember the Aloha B-737 incident? Caused by corrosion not caught by the maintenance inspectors. Shitty movie was made about it, but Connie Sellica was hot as the co-pilot.

Got ramped one time in SAN, Lindberg Field, by a female who had been a secretary, (civil servant), in her previous position. She was hired as an operations inspector, and had been in that position for 14 months when I met her. She didn't know an altimeter from an aileron. Affirmative action at it's finest.

because, as we know, Willy is a government drone.  As such he has never operated in the "real world" and, as a result, thinks government is innately good and business is innately bad and rapacious.  I've actually talked to a few such creatures.  They mean well but they live in an alternate reality and simply don't get it.

that clouds his judgment whenever he posts about them. (And no, it is not like my plan to have the Second Amendment repealed, all guns confiscated, and to hold hearings on NRA membership - how dare you suggest that).

    Whether he is clueless, intentionally misrepresenting, or just does not want to bother learning the true facts, I don't know.  I usually let em go but this one was so off I had to pipe up.