The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered an inspection within 20 days of all engines of the type that disintegrated in mid-air Tuesday, killing a woman when engine parts shattered the window near which she was sitting.
The FAA mandate requires all airlines to inspect fan blades on certain CFM56-7B engines, the engines that are used on the workhorse Boeing 737 flown by virtually all airlines. The directive is based on a CFM International Service Bulletin issued Friday and on information gathered from the investigation of Tuesday’s Southwest Airlines engine failure.
The FAA said the inspection mandate applies to CFM56-7B engines that have made 30,000 trips since their last inspection. Specifically, engines that have made more than 30,000 trips must undergo inspections within 20 days. The FAA said that General Electric, the engine’s manufacturer, estimates that the corrective action affects 352 engines in the United States and 681 engines worldwide.
Jennifer Riordan, a 43-year-old bank executive and mother of two from Albuquerque, was killed Tuesday when the engine exploded.
(c) 2018, The Washington Post · Ashley Halsey III
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