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 and more frequent inspections of engine fan blades, reducing the inspection interval from 3,000 to 1,600 flight cycles.
This directive was prompted by a catastrophic engine failure in April that caused a passenger fatality and ongoing research by the engine manufacturer, CFM.

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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.