Just clear those codes ....

I've been in some drafty and cold emergency exit-adjacent seats before.

On one flight I was in the row behind the exit and heard the passenger in front of me complaining to the flight attendant about the cold.

She looked at the doorframe and immediately replied "Huh guess that one's leaking a little extra," and brought a blanket for the passenger.

Might be hard to hear one of those plugs leaking in a MAX given that it was in a row behind the engines. But maybe we need to reshape the gaps in the jamb area to be more like horns or whistles, just to make sure. Buzzer reeds on the edges or something.

 

Saw an article about how the entire reason that door wasn't a real door is Boeing & Airlines are trying to modify the original designs of planes to figure out how to pack more sardines (people) inside than ever before. I mean what could go wrong?

 

Actually you've got that backwards. The plane was equipped with a plug instead of a door because the customer (Alaska Airlines) did NOT select the highest-density interior.

With the higher-density interior, you need more emergency exits, so with those floorplans they activate the doors.

That said, just calling it as a guy who has to fly a lot? Boeing has spent a lot of time figuring out how to jam just a few too many people into their planes. They bring the CRJ feel to the twin-aisle. So I try to buy tickets serviced by Airbus planes instead.

 

United flight diverts after door warning light (WFLA news link)

This happened Wednesday; I'm slow posting it.

From the article:

That's exactly the sort of failure mode I would hope for.

 

Boeing stock has lost some altitude.

 

I've been a participant in a few "diversionary landings" so far. Thankfully none due to pieces missing from the airplane. Twice for very ill passengers, and once for a disturbed passenger who'd made a very determined effort to open the cabin door at altitude.

Those crews can get those planes down on the deck in quite a hurry when they need to. That experience is stressful enough without a broken airplane.

 

Buy low, sell high.

That's the intended failure mode for sure but there are corporate and cultural factors that might introduce a bias that leans away from a very expensive divert for a mechanical.
Diverts for a loose nut in the passenger compartment are one thing, since all you have to do is remove the passenger, but down-checking an aircraft after an emergency divert is orders of magnitude worse.

Gripe sheet humor has been a 'thing' since before they took the fabric off the wings.

P = The problem logged by the pilot.
S = The solution and action taken by the engineers.


P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.

P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on backorder.

P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.

P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.

P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what they're there for.

P: IFF inoperative.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.

P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.

P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.

 

The A321neo Cabin Flex also has plug doors:

What Are Door Plugs & Which Aircraft Have Them?

737-900ER also. I'm not sure if any other current models from either company has them.

 

The 'classic' A321 has made optional use of plug doors for 20ish years * >2,800 hulls.