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FAA orders Boeing inspection after Southwest's midair fuselage failure
by Anter Prakash Singh - April 5, 2011 - comments
The Southwest Airlines had found similar cracks in three other planes and has grounded them.
The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has ordered an inspection of some 80 Boeing 737s with electro-magnetic process after a Boeing belonging to the Southwest Airlines developed a hole in its fuselage at an altitude of 34,000 while on its way to Sacramento from Phoenix.
The passengers were safe though a flight attendant suffered injuries and the plane had to make an emergency landing.
The order will cover Boeing 737-300s, 737-400s and 737-500 made in 1980s and 1990s.
Older Boeing 737s to undergo inspection
The FAA order will cover all the 80 Boeing 737s registered in the United States. Out of these, 78 are owned by Southwest Airlines, and the Alaska Airlines has the other two.
It is the second time in 2 years that Southwest jet has had a rupture in fuselage after takeoff at an altitude of more than 30,000 feet.
Aviation safety experts said the incident once again highlights the issue of safety in aging aircrafts.
Bill Voss, president, Flight Safety Foundation said, “This could change the conversation regarding the risk of aging aircraft.”
Voss said that though the FAA has made the safety standards more stringent for older aircrafts, the latest incident calls for more stringent and costly inspections.
The Transport Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement, “Last Friday’s incident was very serious and could result in additional action depending on the outcome of the investigation.”
Corrosion due to moisture
National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) member, Robert Sumwalt said that their investigators found that corrosion caused by moisture. He said that rivet holes were also a bit enlarged.
“It indicates that something is going on in that joint that should not be going on,” said Sumwalt.
The Southwest Airlines had found similar cracks in three other planes and has grounded them.
Meanwhile, in a statement reported in the New York Times, Boeing said that it would “recommend lap-joint inspection on certain 737-300s as well as the 737-400 and 737-500 models.”
It is the second time in 2 years that Southwest jet has had a rupture in fuselage after takeoff at an altitude of more than 30,000 feet.
The NTSB is also likely to review the maintenance practices of the Southwest Airlines. “They are going to be pushed very hard on this,” commented an aviation safety expert.