Another 737 catches fire

[Provincial]

Bonding wasn't a big issue back when passenger airplanes were made of metal. Just fastening the metal pieces together provided pathways for electrical current to pass. Even then, there was an effort to provide electrical connection throughout the aircraft with bonding jumpers, in case paint or other coatings impaired the flow of electricity.

More recently, the use of carbon fiber and fiberglass has limited the pathway for electrical currents in aircraft, so bonding has become a major issue. For instance, lightning strikes are common enough to be a serious threat.

Grounding during fueling is a big deal. Back when gasoline was the fuel, a static electrical spark could ignite vapors, resulting in explosion and fire. With jet fuel being basically kerosene, that danger is much less. It still is necessary, and outside of the airline industry, there have been some incidents due to lack of grounding.

 

[WillametteWill]

737-300 skidded off the runway during takeoff today. 4 seriously injured. No clue why. Routine accident?

"The pilot told us everything was under control and that we're going to try to take off again," he told the AP. "The second time, smoke started coming from one of the wings."

One hundred percent flight crew error, very reckless and irresponsible. When the first take off attempt was aborted, return to the gate area and get everyone on another flight. The ground maintenance crew needed to determine the cause of the first take off abort.

It is more likely to be "routine" on an aircraft that is at least 25 years old (the last 300 was produced in 1999) in a country/airline that is not operating to say, US standards. These stories have always been common; we just didn't hear about them until it is now "news."

 

[Sharkey]

What we need are electric airplanes, these iCE engines are terrible.
Has Boeing wacked any whistle-blowers lately.

 

[Diamondback]

So they're just selling fear again.

Yeah, there' a coordinated media hit out on BA, I can see one of three possible reasons.
1. There are SIX different contractors vying for Prime on a HUGE USAF contract, and kneecapping a rival via media jackals is a fine old industry position.
2. Somebody with strong media connections has a bunch of Short Sell positions and is trying to "Drive the Short," muh like how Bin Laden and a BUNCH of other suspicious folks shorted BA, UAL and AMR right before 9/11.
3. "Flood The Zone"--from BA Corporate, drown out the legit stories from the whistleblowers with so much blatant BS that *all* the critics legit or not get tarred with the same Negative Nancy brush.