Found out Boeing 737 MAX hydraulic lines are routed next to hot bleed air ducts without proper shielding

3 comments

3 Comments

Wait, didn't someone figure this out with the DC-10 cargo doors decades ago? It seems like every time engineers put hot air lines next to something critical without insulation, we get the same story. The heat makes the hydraulic fluid break down faster, then you get leaks and pressure loss at the worst possible moment. I feel like this is the kind of thing that gets flagged in a design review but someone says "it'll be fine" because they're behind schedule. It really bothers me that we keep repeating these simple mistakes that have been known for 40 years.

hayes.joel1mo agoTop Commenter

Pretty much how everything works anymore. Budget wins over common sense every time.

-1

mitchell.lee1mo ago

Exactly right. Had a similar issue years ago with a different aircraft design where we found hydraulic lines right next to a 400 degree pneumatic duct, and the response was "it's always been that way" until the line burst on a test flight.