Mumbai: The US aviation regulator has warned airlines operating Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to limit engine anti-icing as under certain circumstances, the outer casing of the engine could overheat beyond its design limit and break away midair. The broken part could damage the aircraft or injure passengers in window seats seated in the rear section of the aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness directive released on Tuesday said.
Under the directive, by August 25, airlines operating Boeing 737 aircraft equipped with CFM LEAP-1B series turbofan engines will need to revise their flight manual to limit the use of engine anti-ice in dry air to under five minutes. The relevant portion in the minimum equipment list too should be revised, it said.
In India, SpiceJet, operates a fleet of about 11 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft powered by the said LEAP-1B engines. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)’s airworthiness department has not issued a circular on the latest finding yet, said a source.
But Indian carriers, including Air India and Akasa Air have a total of 520 LEAP-1B engines on order to power about 262 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that will be delivered in the coming years. The delivery schedule is likely to be affected, said an aviation consultant. For one, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness directive issued “to address the unsafe condition on these products” is an interim measure. “The manufacturer is currently developing a modification that will address the unsafe condition identified in this directive. Once this modification is developed, approved, and available, the FAA might consider additional rulemaking,” said the FAA.
The FAA began working on the issue in June following a report which indicated that use of engine anti-ice in dry air for more than five minutes during certain environmental and operational conditions can cause overheating of the engine inlet inner barrel beyond the material design limit. This could result in failure of the engine inlet inner barrel and severe engine inlet cowl damage.
The directive asked for revision of the existing airplane flight manual (AFM) to limit the use of engine anti-ice in certain conditions and revision of airlines’ existing minimum equipment list to prohibit dispatch under a certain item.
09/08/2023 Manju V/Times of India
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