FAA alerts airlines of dangerous flaw on Boeing Max Jets.
FAA Warns Airlines of Potentially Hazardous Flaw on Boeing Max Jets
U.S. regulators are issuing a stern warning to airlines regarding the use of an anti-icing system on Boeing 737 Max jets in dry air. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is urging airlines to limit the use of this system to prevent engine-housing parts from overheating and potentially breaking away from the aircraft.
The FAA is taking this precautionary measure without allowing public comment first, emphasizing the seriousness of the risk to the flying public. The order will go into effect in just 15 days.
The concern arises from the possibility of engine inlet overheating, which could cause parts of the housing to detach and strike a window. This could lead to decompression and pose a hazard to passengers seated near the window.
This finding applies to LEAP-1B engines used on all versions of the Max, which are manufactured by CFM International. CFM International is a joint venture between General Electric and France’s Safran.
In 2018, a tragic incident occurred when a Southwest Airlines passenger lost her life after part of the engine housing on an older version of Boeing’s 737 jet broke off and shattered the window next to her seat. This engine failure was initiated by a broken fan blade.
While there have been no reports of the overheating problem occurring on Max flights, the FAA discovered the potential for damage during flight testing and analysis in June.
Boeing has stated that overheating of the inlets, which are made by Boeing itself and not CFM, can only occur under very specific conditions and was only recently discovered.
“Boeing has identified measures to mitigate the potential issue and [is] working with our customers to deploy those measures while a permanent fix is developed,” the company said in a statement.
The FAA is specifically addressing the issue of engine anti-ice, a system that uses hot air from the engine to heat the housing and prevent ice formation that could be sucked into the engines.
As part of the directive, flight manuals will now instruct pilots and airlines not to use engine anti-ice in dry air for more than five minutes. The FAA warns that exceeding this limit could cause the engine inlet inner barrel to overheat and potentially fail, damaging the inlet cowl.
The FAA emphasizes that if parts break off from the engine housing, it could not only break a window but also impact other critical parts of the plane, potentially causing pilots to lose control.
The FAA plans to publish the rule in the Federal Register on Thursday.
It is important to note that two Boeing Max jets crashed in 2018 and 2019, resulting in the loss of 346 lives. Investigations revealed that an automated flight-control system, based on faulty sensor readings, pushed the nose of the plane down. Boeing did not inform pilots and airlines about this system until after the first crash.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
The post FAA Warns Airlines of Potentially Hazardous Flaw on Boeing Max Jets appeared first on The Western Journal.
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