One of my friends had to abort take off at 160 knots in a 777 when the engine back-fired. He said it was the most almighty bang one can imagine. No wonder in the world's largest jet engine.
I was also told that the 380 out of Singapore had fire engines pouring water into the affected engine to stop it. The fly by wire stuff was cut during the disintegration & the skipper couldn't shut down. Pretty wild when you're on the runway with glowing hot brakes & an engine blaring away at full bore.
I always envisage the 320 in Paris performing a perfect final into the woods because the pilot was unable to overrule the computer. Now they build that 787 out of composite which is not at all good for lightning strikes.
I'm no expert but the latest technology is not always reassuring.

Lexi, I detect a preference for something solid & respectable there, rather than my more impractical choice. Hope you get the one you want.

Ludwig, that's standard Virgin.

I was to pick up a lady from a Virgin flight from Coolangatta, [the Gold Coast] airport one evening a few months back.

A very sever thunder storm delayed the landing of all aircraft for a while. Jetstar diverted a couple of flights to Brisbane, & bussed the passengers back to the coast. A third of their flight land at the airport after the storm had passed.

Jetstar had a couple of those airport ladies, [you know the ones, attractive, well groomed, & almost identical to all the others of the breed], manning an information desk, & another couple running around advising their customers of progress with their passengers.

Virgin on the other hand had no one. The 30 or so people waiting for passengers could not find any one admitting to be Virgin staff. We could get no information from their Brisbane phone number, not even an answer.

I finally found the answer one & a half hours later, when my passenger phoned me from Sydney. Virgin had returned 3 planes, & passengers to Sydney. She was calling to tell me what new flight she would be on in the morning.

Without that call, the 30 of us could have been there all night, awaiting Virgin's courtesy.

I would rather they returned to Sydney that try a dangerous landing, but we will in future pick an airline that will try to organise information to their clients.

Dear Hasbeen,

Solid and respectable? Not sure about that - although
I've had it drummed into me all of my life - so you're
probably right. Perhaps I'll go nuts as I age - ;-)
and become an eccentric that everyone talks about.
Ah well, you can dream.

Seriously though, I admit I've got a thing for
mercs - and the old classic ones, not the current
ones that look so ordinary. I guess it could be
because my father loved them so much.

Anyway, I won't be too disappointed if I don't
get what I want - it's only a car - right?

I won't be flying Virgin again - thanks for
bringing us up to date on that air-line.

Guess you guys sidestep the topic.
The question is: How risky is it to fly new technology Boeing 737?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaWdEtANi-0

How risky is it to fly new technology Boeing 737 ?
chris_ho,
My guess is it'd be as safe/unsafe as any other aircraft. I'd say a lot depends on how much stress it is subjected to. It can be pilot induced stress i.e. flying into bad weather or a hard landing. Of course shonky materials & sloppy workmanship don't help either. It is the nature of man-made things to not function properly at times. I fly a lot in small aircraft & for some strange reason I feel less vulnerable than in a huge jet.

The linked film shows that primary safety structures of about 1500 Boeing 737NB fuselages have been built with not airworthy parts and that already 3 aircraft fuselages have broken after just overrunning the runway. Boeing, FAA and the US NSB try to cover it up instead of investigating the matter, which is as much worrying as the faults in flying planes.
If you watch the film then maybe you would be a bit worried as well. Film ->> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaWdEtANi-0
It was emitted by SBS Dateline a short time ago.