FAA seeks engine fixes to bring Boeing 777s back to service
United plane in San Francisco earlier this year. It is the only US airline to use Boeing 777 jets powered by Pratt & Whitney engines.
Photo:
john g mabanglo / Shutterstock
The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday proposed fixes to prevent engine coatings from breaking off in some parts of the world.
Boeing Have.
father 1.09%
The 777, as they happened in a series of incidents, including on a United Airlines jet that flew over Colorado earlier this year.
The proposed changes, which would allow the plane to return to service, are intended to strengthen the engine housing to prevent parts of the plane from splitting in mid-air and the plane to collide or fall to the ground.
That’s what happened when the United 777’s engine briefly failed after taking off from Denver in February: Its outer shell, damaged by a broken propeller, broke off and metal components fell into a dump in a nearby suburb. No one was injured and the flight landed safely.
The Pratt & Whitney engine-powered Boeing 777 jet subset was effectively landed after that episode. FAA ordered an immediate inspection Cracked motor propellers can lead to more potential failures.
The FAA on Wednesday also recommended an enhanced inspection process for propellers used in engines and other components, with specific repair actions depending on the outcome. Pratt & Whitney, a unit of
Raytheon Technologies Corp.
, said in a written statement that such inspections were underway.
United, the only US airline to fly that type of plane, had 52 planes, some of which were in storage at the time of the incident. The airline had hoped to resume flying wide-body jets this summer, but a spokesman said on Wednesday that it would be able to bring them back to its fleet as early as next year.
The engine failed after the United jet took off from Denver in February.
Photo:
NTSB
United said the proposed changes were a “good outcome” for the industry. The airline said it was working closely with the FAA, Boeing and Pratt & Whitney, and that many of its affected engines were tested under the proposal.
Boeing said in a written statement that it supports the FAA’s guidance on test requirements and will work with its customers and with Pratt & Whitney.
The Denver incident is the third of its kind in recent years. Another engine cover broke on one
Japan Airlines Have.
flight in late 2020, and a similar incident occurred on another United plane en route to Hawaii in early 2018.
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Appeared on 23 December 2021, print edition as ‘FAA Seeking Repair for Boeing 777 Engines.’
https://www.wsj.com/articles/faa-seeks-fixes-for-boeing-777-engines-to-allow-jets-return-to-service-11640214804?mod=pls_whats_news_us_business_f FAA seeks engine fixes to bring Boeing 777s back to service