FAA Grounds Older 737s for Inspection, Potentially Disrupting Flight Schedules

Most airlines said the required inspections would be finished in the next few days with minimal disruptions. The FAA wouldn't discuss specific airlines or schedule delays, but Tom McSweeny, the FAA's director of aircraft certification, said about 100,000 passengers would be affected. The a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Wall Street journal. Eastern edition
Main Author By Christina Duff and Andy Pasztor
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York, N.Y Dow Jones & Company Inc 11.05.1998
EditionEastern edition
Subjects
Aging
Air travel
Aircraft
Aircraft accidents & safety
Aircraft industry
Airlines
Aviation
Inspections
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Summary:Most airlines said the required inspections would be finished in the next few days with minimal disruptions. The FAA wouldn't discuss specific airlines or schedule delays, but Tom McSweeny, the FAA's director of aircraft certification, said about 100,000 passengers would be affected. The agency -- which took the drastic step after discovering wear and tear in more planes since its initial inspection order was issued last Thursday -- also gave carriers two weeks to examine 282 newer 737s for the same potential problem. Dozens of flights were affected over the weekend, and airline officials predicted that scattered delays and cancellations are likely to stretch into today. It was the first time since 1979, when the entire fleet of McDonnell Douglas DC-10 widebodies was grounded temporarily to check engine mounts, that the FAA decided to immediately bar flights of such a large number of passenger jets unless mandatory inspection and repair work was completed. The moves, affecting 23% of Boeing Co.'s world-wide fleet of its best-selling 737 twinjets, accelerate last week's inspection mandate. The FAA's actions also are likely to intensify debate over the broader issue of maintaining and replacing electric wiring in various types of aging commercial jets, probably including McDonnell Douglas and Lockheed models. Said Tom McSweeny, the FAA's director of aircraft certification: "While we are concerned about the disruption this could have to the system, the No. 1 priority is safety."
ISSN:0099-9660