NTSB urges inspection of GE engines on Boeing 787s, 747-8s

The National Transportation Safety Board made a recommendation Friday that all Boeing Co. 787 and 747-8 aircraft equipped with General Electric GEnx-1B and GEnx-2B engines undergo continual inspection.
The recommendation comes after a Boeing 787 spewed debris prior to a test flight, sparking a fire on the ground at the Charleston airport in July. An NTSB investigation found a midshaft fan fracture and crack.
On Aug. 13, a GEnx-1B engine that was installed on a 787-8, which had not flown yet, also was found to have a similar crack on the midshaft engine fan, the NTSB said.
Earlier this week, a 747 equipped with GE engines also suffered an engine failure, reported the Wall Street Journal.
The NTSB has no regulatory power — it can only recommend action. Only the FAA can make such inspections mandatory. Foreign regulators usually follow the FAA's lead.
All in-service and spare GEnx-1B engines already have been examined by new ultrasound inspection equipment developed by GE, the NTSB said in a letter to the FAA. All GEnx-2B engines on passenger planes have been inspected, but 47 more have yet to be inspected, the agency said.
Boeing has delivered 787 jets to five customers. However, two of the five airlines operate 787s with Rolls-Royce engines. The three with GE engines are Japan Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines and Air India.
14/09/12 Michelle Dunlop/Herald Net

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Categories: Air India Sep 2012, Foreign Sep 2012, Safety Sep 2012