FAA Adds More Checks On 737 Engines

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, October 02, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The FAA issued a new Airworthiness Directive (AD) affecting approximately 1,800 Boeing 737 aircraft in the U.S.
The AD mandates additional, more frequent inspections of fan blades of the type that caused a catastrophic engine failure on a Southwest flight, which resulted in a passenger fatality.
The required inspection interval for these fan blades has been reduced from 3,000 flight cycles to 1,600.
Prompted by research from engine manufacturer CFM, this new mandatory directive takes effect on October 16.

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The FAA on Monday issued a new Airworthiness Directive that affects about 1,800 Boeing 737 aircraft operated in the U.S. The AD requires additional inspections of the fan blades in all the airplanes equipped with the same type of blades that caused a catastrophic engine failure in April, when one passenger died on a Southwest flight after a window was broken by engine debris. A previous AD had mandated the inspections after 3,000 flight cycles, but the new AD reduces that interval to 1,600. The AD takes effect on Oct. 16.

The updated rule was prompted by continuing research undertaken by CFM, the engine manufacturer. CFM issued a Service Bulletin in July advising operators of the new interval recommendation. The FAA’s AD now makes that new interval mandatory. The FAA estimates each inspection will take about two hours, costing the airlines an average of about $170. If a fan blade fails the inspection, it would cost about $51,000 to replace it.