FAA Proposes Safety Fix for Another 737 MAX Production Lapse
February 25 2020 - 12:35PM
Dow Jones News
By Andy Pasztor
The Federal Aviation Administration is mandating a new round of
safety fixes before Boeing Co.'s 737 MAX jets can return to the
air, this time targeting assembly-line lapses that could result in
dual-engine power loss in the event of a lightning strike.
The proposed directive, posted Tuesday on the Federal Register's
website, would require inspecting and fixing a metallic lining that
serves as a shield against lightning strikes for engine-control
wiring. The FAA said cuts or tears in that aluminum-foil layer,
located inside panels that cover engine attachments on the wings,
could cause simultaneous loss of thrust in both engines.
The document immediately covers 128 737 MAX jets registered in
the U.S., but the FAA said it is applicable to all MAX aircraft
assembled so far because the entire fleet "may be affected by the
identified unsafe condition." -
A Boeing spokesman said the lightning-protection issues aren't
expected to affect anticipated initial return of the planes around
mid-2020. The FAA said it could take an estimated 12 hours of work
for mechanics to check and repair the problem on each plane.
The move Tuesday comes after Boeing informed FAA officials that
separate inspections have revealed more than two-thirds of
undelivered MAX planes have some type of debris in their fuel
tanks.
The FAA also is leaning toward requiring Boeing to relocate
certain wiring bundles, some of which are located behind the
cockpit and under the cabin floor, due to concerns that an
electrical short circuit could result in potentially catastrophic
flight-control difficulties that pilots would be unable to
correct.
Roughly 700 MAX jets are grounded world-wide as Boeing, the FAA
and international aviation regulators devise software fixes and
revised pilot-training requirements to enable them to return to
service. The planes have been idled for nearly a year in the wake
of two crashes that took 346 lives.
The hazard stemming from the damaged lightning-protection
feature was first reported by the New York Times.
FAA officials recently have shifted part of their focus to delve
into production shortcomings, after months working primarily to
address design and pilot-training issues related to the MAX. The
agency has said FAA inspectors will increase oversight of
assembly-line practices after Boeing resumes MAX production.
The agency has said it intends to check the condition and safety
compliance of each MAX airliner before permitting it to carry
passengers, a change from past practice. Traditionally, the FAA has
delegated such approvals to Boeing and intends to continue doing so
for planes other than the MAX.
FAA chief Steve Dickson has publicly urged the Chicago plane
maker to tighten its own quality-control checks and safety
procedures related to assembly operations.
Boeing said Tuesday the lightning-strike vulnerability affects
only MAX planes built between February 2018 and June 2019. But in
its directive, the FAA expanded the scope of the inspections to
cover all MAX aircraft, concluding the company's earlier voluntary
service bulletin wasn't comprehensive enough. Boeing stopped
assembling the MAX in December.
Write to Andy Pasztor at andy.pasztor@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 25, 2020 13:20 ET (18:20 GMT)
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