NgoLwesithathu kuqophe umlando omubi emlandweni wezokundiza.
I-United Airlines, inkampani yokuqala eyenza i-Boeing 737 yaba isisekelo semikhumbi yayo eminyakeni engama-41 edlule, yahoxisa eyokugcina yalezo zindiza ephathini eyayisuka eVirginia iya eCalifornia.
Indiza bekungeyokugcina kuma-Boeing 94 angu-737 i-United yawamisa kusukela ngoSepthemba 2008. Leso sinyathelo esibuhlungu salahlekisela izinkulungwane zabasebenzi base-United imisebenzi kodwa kungenzeka ukuthi sasindisa inkampani ethwala kanzima enhlekeleleni yezezimali njengoba imakethe yezokuvakasha iwa ebusika obudlule kulandela ukuwohloka kweWall Street, kusho abahlaziyi.
Indiza yokugcina ye-United i-Boeing 737, ehamba njenge-Flight 737, isuke e-Washington Dulles International Airport ngaphambi kokuntwela kokusa ngoLwesithathu futhi yathinta kuzo zonke izindawo zenkampani yenethiwekhi njengoba isendleleni eya endaweni yokugcina izinto e-San Francisco.
Omakhenikha bazokhumula indiza futhi bayilungiselele uhambo lwayo lokugcina oluya ogwadule olumaphakathi neCalifornia, lapho izopakwa khona.
Isiphithiphithi ngohambo lokugcina lwendiza luyisikhumbuzo sokuthakasela izindiza ezinazo kubantu abaningi, kusukela kumaqhawe omgwaqo kuya kubasebenzi bezindiza. Kepha akuwona wonke umuntu ozobe ejabulela ukuthatha umhlalaphansi kwe-United 737.
“Kufana nokulahlekelwa umngane omkhulu,” kusho uJeff Ecklund, owandizela ama-737 iminyaka eyisithupha e-United ngaphambi kokulahlekelwa umsebenzi wakhe ngoSepthemba. Ungomunye wabashayeli bezindiza abangu-1,450 abakhishwa izintambo njengoba i-United isungula imikhumbi yayo engu-737 kanye namajethi e-Boeing 747 jumbo ayisithupha. "Sivame ukunamathela kulezi zingcezu ezinkulu ze-aluminium."
Izindiza zokugcina zendiza ziphinde zaphawula ukuphela kwenkathi e-Chicago-based United, eyaba nesandla ekwenzeni i-737 indiza yabagibeli edayise kakhulu kunabo bonke.
Ngenkathi i-United ifaka i-Boeing 737 yayo yokuqala emsebenzini ngo-1968, abagibeli bebesagqokile okungcono kakhulu ngeSonto lokuhamba ngendiza futhi kwaqubuka impikiswano yokuthi ngabe abasebenzi basebhanoyini kufanele baxoshwe yini ngokushada.
Ibheka indiza ezongena esikhundleni semikhumbi yophephela, i-United yakhetha i-Boeing 737-200, yaba ikhasimende lokwethula inguqulo yokuqala yejethi ezosetshenziswa kabanzi (kwathengiswa abambalwa kuphela besizukulwane sokuqala samajethi).
I-737 yona yashintsha indlela yokuhamba ngendiza. Yayingasindi uma kuqhathaniswa, ihlezi abantu abangaba ngu-120 futhi idinga abashayeli bezindiza ababili kuphela endaweni yabashayeli bezindiza, esikhundleni sabathathu njengabangaphambi kwayo.
Ezandleni zeSouthwest Airlines, eziqhenya ngemikhumbi yonke engama-737, nezinye ezithwala izindleko eziphansi, yaba indiza yabantu abaningi. Izizukulwane zakamuva zendiza zisengabathengisi abaqinile be-Boeing, esithole ama-oda angaphezu kuka-6,000 esikhathini sokuphila sama-737.
“Bekuwubukhulu obufanele, umnotho osebenzayo ngesikhathi esifanele,” kusho umeluleki wezindiza uRobert Mann ngempumelelo yendiza.
I-United yathenga amajethi angu-233 e-Boeing-narrow body jets ngamagagasi amabili okunwetshwa: ngasekupheleni kwawo-1960 kanye nasekupheleni kweminyaka yawo-1980 kuya ku-1993. Kodwa lapho ibhekene nokukhetha okunzima kokuhlanganisa izindiza zayo njengoba amanani kawoyela enyuka ngoJuni 2008, i-United yakhetha ukuhlanganisa izindiza zayo. iyeka “okwakudala” kwayo okungu-737, njengoba zaziwa kwezokundiza, esikhundleni semikhumbi yayo emincane ye-Airbus A320s.
Izindiza zokugcina zokugcina ezingama-737 ze-United zizwakala zinomsindo wendiza, kusho uTom Lee. Uyisikhulu se-aerospace esizinze e-Los Angeles kanye nomshisekeli wendiza ohambe ngezinye izindiza ezimbili ezinomlando: uhambo lokuqala lwezohwebo lwendiza i-Boeing 747 jumbo jet kanye nendiza eyisitezi kabili i-Airbus A380.
Abanye bajoyine iqembu ngoba benezinkumbulo ezimnandi ngendiza uqobo, esho. Kwabanye, ukuxhumana kubaluleke kakhulu.
“Kufanele kube ukuthakasela ukundiza,” kusho u-Lee. “Kunento ethile lapho umuntu efisa ukwelula amaphiko akhe, ehle phansi afise sengathi angandiza.”
