Aviation Boeing giant admitted today that he was aware of the weaknesses in its 737 jets, but never expected a jet of Southwest Airlines for 15 years to break open in flight.
In a conference call with journalists, Boeing officials acknowledged they knew that problems with the knee joints that unite the fuselage of the aircraft, but they did not expect to be a problem until 737 jets were more numerous take-off and landing of aircraft cycles that have had problems Friday.
"Our plan is to recommend inspections to 60,000 cycles." Obviously, none is close to that at the moment, "said Paul Richter, engineer project manager for Boeing 737 classic." "It is regrettable that we must accelerate our plans based on an event of this nature."
The jet of Southwest Airlines for 15 years, which opened along her husband lap last Friday, had 39 000 takeoff and landing cycles.
Classics for Boeing 737 were manufactured from 1984 to 2000. In 1993, Boeing has redesigned its 737 because of problems with lap-joint design, but the jet of southwest of the problem was manufactured after that disturbance.
Boeing will recommend now that all 737 aircraft that cross the threshold of 30 000 - cycle be inspected for fatigue cracks. The inspections are to be repeated after each 500 flight cycles.
The number of affected jets rises now at 175, but which will be finally climb to more than 500 jets as the age s and up to more than cycles 737 flight.
Affected jets are used by airlines around the world. Eighty aircraft are in service with the United States, most of them from Southwest.
Boeing said that new 737 currently in production has a different conception of lap-joint and should not know cracking.
Admission of Boeing came just hours before the Federal Aviation Administration has formally ordered emergency inspections on these 175 jets. The Government now conducts a re-evaluation wholesale of his approach to the inspection of the aircraft.
Inspections will be devoted to the departure of 737 accumulated or are close to the flight accumulation 30,000 cycles. Inspections shall be made within 20 days and even earlier – in five days - for aircraft with more than 35 000 cycles. If cracks are found, repairs should be completed before a jet can return to flight.
Inspectors use what is called the eddy current technology to examine joint 50-foot long lap, passing electrical current through the skin of an aircraft to seek small cracks. If no signs alert is detected, ultrasound and x-ray tools are then used for a more thorough review. In some regions, la skin of an aircraft may be as thin as a nickel.
Southwest said it has resumed its regular schedule today. He said this morning that it had completed inspections of all 737-300 s 79 that he retired from service after the end of week. The airline has said that he discovered fatigue cracks in five aircraft and follow the advice of Boeing on how to repair. Southwest said it believes that its inspection process is consistent with the order of the Government.
Southwest had canceled hundreds of flights to accommodate inspections after the test of Friday, when Southwest flight 812, en route from Phoenix to Sacramento, California, was diverted to a military base in Yuma, Arizona, after a section of the fuselage of the plane ripped open, the aircraft of depressurization and expose the sky to passengers.
The section of five feet of the aircraft fuselage which opened was sent to Washington, D.C., for detailed microscopic analysis.
