Travel Tips

FAA Calls for 767 Inspections After Structural Cracks Found

Boeing 767 plane - FAA Orders Inspections for Cracked PylonsThe Federal Aviation Administration is calling for an inspection of 54 American Airlines Boeing 767 jetliners after structural cracks were found on three planes on Monday.

The cracks were uncovered in the pylons that hold jetliners’ engines onto the wings.

Usually, pylons are inspected after a plane has gone through 1,500 takeoff and landing cycles. The cracks on one American Airline jet, however, were discovered on a plane that had fewer than 500 cycles since its last check.

It’s been reported that the size of the cracks found on American’s jets surprised the Boeing officials. One jetliner’s pylon was so badly cracked that regulators worried that the plane ran the risk of losing an engine.

Learn more about aviation safety in our Plane Crashes & Safety section.

In response to the discovery, Boeing is said to be stepping up inspections on 767 jetliners and considering creating new industry-wide guidelines for inspecting 767 pylons.

American Airlines planeBecause of concerns that same issues could be affecting Boeing 767 jets outside of American’s fleet, the FAA is considering requiring more frequent inspections for all airlines using the model.

In addition to American, Delta and Continental also use Boeing 767 jets, and there are  around 360 jetliners of the 767 model currently flying in American carrier fleets.

The aircraft is a popular model often used on trans-Atlantic flights between the U.S. and Europe.  Depending on the model, the plane seats 181 to 245 passengers in three different classes.

By Adriana Padilla for PeterGreenberg.com.

Related Links: USA Today, BusinessWeek, 24/7 Wall Street

Related Links on PeterGreenberg.com: