Latest news with #CFMInternational
The Independent
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
NTSB issues urgent warning about engines on some Boeing and Airbus planes
The National Transportation Safety Board has issued an ' urgent safety recommendation ' regarding engines used in some Airbus and Boeing passenger jets. The recommendations concern the CFM International LEAP-1B engines used in Airbus A32neo and Boeing 737 Max narrow-body jets. In a statement on Wednesday, the transit regulator warned that the engine's load reduction device, a safety feature designed to reduce vibrations transmitted from a damaged engine to the main airframe, can impact the engine's oil system. 'Such a condition can allow smoke from hot oil to enter the ventilation system and ultimately the cockpit or passenger cabin,' the NTSB warned. 'We are aligned with the NTSB's recommendations and the work is already underway, in close partnership with our airframers, to enhance the capability of this important system,' a CFM spokesperson said in a statement to The Independent. The board's recommendation stemmed from a December 2023 incident, in which a Southwest flight on a Boeing 737-8 jet leaving New Orleans filled with smoke after its left engine ingested a bird. 'The flight deck filled with what the crew described as 'acrid white smoke' so thick that the captain had difficulty seeing the instrument panel,' the safety board wrote. 'The crew donned masks, were able to clear the smoke, and landed the airplane back in New Orleans. None of the crew or passengers were injured.' The Wednesday alert cited a similar incident featuring a Southwest flight departing Havana, Cuba, earlier that year. The safety board has requested that the Federal Aviation Administration ensure operators inform flight crews about jets equipped with the affected engines. Boeing has revised its flight manuals to prepare pilots to prevent smoke from entering the cockpit or cabin when the load reduction device is activated. The safety board has also asked flight regulators in Europe and China to determine if other variants of the CFM LEAP engine are susceptible to the same issues, and has asked the FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency to incorporate software modifications developed by CFM and Boeing. One of the impacted jets is the Boeing 737 Max, the same plane that crashed twice between 2018 and 2019, killing 346 and causing a temporary grounding of the model until a flight sensor system could be redesigned. In May, the Justice Department reached a deal with the aerospace giant to avoid criminal prosecution for allegedly misleading regulators about the Max. The recommendations come at a time of heightened concern regarding the safety of the US air transit system, after a series of high-profile aviation disasters this year, including a mid-air collision above a Washington, D.C.-area airport, and a plane crash in Philadelphia, as well as air traffic control issues around major hubs like Newark.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NTSB issues urgent safety bulletin about engines found in some Boeing 737 Max jets
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued an urgent safety recommendation Wednesday to modify jet engines on Boeing's 737 Max airplanes to prevent smoke from entering the cockpit or cabin in certain scenarios. The warning comes after two incidents involving Southwest Airlines planes equipped with CFM International LEAP-1B engines that experienced bird strikes in 2023. The NTSB said that these CFM engines have a safety feature, called a load reduction device, that can inadvertently damage the oil system of the engines once it activates after a bird strike. The damage can result in smoke forming from hot oil released into the engine and entering the ventilation system and ultimately the cockpit or passenger cabin. The NTSB investigated an incident in December 2023 involving a Southwest Airlines plane that struck a bird while taking off from New Orleans. The plane landed quickly after "acrid white smoke" filled the cockpit and was so thick that the captain said it was hard to see the instrument panel. Southwest Adds 'Powerful' Cockpit Alert System To Detect Runway Danger Another incident nine months earlier involving similar engine damage happened on another Southwest flight from Havana, Cuba, after birds were ingested into an engine shortly after takeoff, resulting in smoke filling the cabin. Read On The Fox Business App In both cases, the flights landed safely, and no one was injured. The NTSB also recommended evaluating the potential for the same issue with CFM's LEAP-1A and LEAP-1C engines, which are used on some Airbus A320neo planes and C919 jets made by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China. CFM is owned by GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines. Boeing Shares Slide After Air India Crash The Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing both said they agreed with the NTSB recommendations and have already warned airlines and pilots about the problem. "We advised operators to evaluate their procedures and crew training to ensure they address this potential issue," the FAA said. "When the engine manufacturer develops a permanent mitigation, we will require operators to implement it within an appropriate timeframe." Boeing said that CFM and Boeing "have been working on a software design update." Reuters contributed to this article source: NTSB issues urgent safety bulletin about engines found in some Boeing 737 Max jets
New York Post
a day ago
- Automotive
- New York Post
Feds issue urgent warning over risk of Boeing 737 Max engines leaking smoke into cabin, cockpit
Federal regulators have issued a rare, urgent warning over the risk of Boeing 737 Max engines malfunctioning and letting smoke into an airplane cabin or cockpit. Damage to the engine's oil system can cause smoke from hot oil to enter the airplane ventilation system and fill the cabin or cockpit – presenting an extreme danger of incapacitating the pilots, the National Transportation Safety Board wrote in a report released Wednesday. The recommendations were inspired by two incidents on Southwest Airlines flights, when CFM International LEAP-1B engines malfunctioned after bird strikes and poured smoke into the cabins. Advertisement Boeing 737 engines at the company's factory in Renton, Wash. AP In December 2023, a Boeing 737-8 filled with 'acrid white smoke' shortly after takeoff from New Orleans, La. It was so thick that the captain struggled to see the instrument panel in the cockpit, the NTSB said. An engine on another flight in March 2023 was similarly damaged by a bird strike, allowing fog to funnel into the passenger cabin shortly after departing Havana, Cuba. Advertisement Both flights required emergency landings, and there were no injuries, the safety agency said. The NTSB is recommending modifications to the engines, which are used on Boeing 737 Max planes and Airbus A32 jets. In an urgent notice, it is asking the Federal Aviation Administration to evaluate whether LEAP-1A and LEAP-1C engines have the potential for the same issue. The NTSB also expressed concern that flight crews are unaware of the potential smoke hazard and won't know how to take action. The agency said it had urged the FAA to require operators like Boeing to alert crews of the smoke risk. Advertisement Damage to a CFM International LEAP-1B engine. NTSB / Southwest Airlines Boeing has already revised its flight manuals for pilots detailing what steps to take to prevent smoke from entering the cockpit or cabin, the NTSB said. 'CFM International and Boeing have been working on a software design update. We support the NTSB's recommendation,' Boeing told The Post in a statement. GE Aerospace, which owns CFM International, told The Post it is also aligned with the NTSB's recommendations and 'the work is already underway.'
Biz Bahrain
2 days ago
- Business
- Biz Bahrain
Gulf Air and CFM strengthen LEAP-1A Engine Support for A320neo Fleet
In a sign of a long-standing and trusted collaboration, Gulf Air and CFM International have extended the airline's long-term CFM LEAP-1A Services for A320neo family aircraft. Signed during Paris Airshow 2025, held from 16 to 22 June 2025, this strategic extension, along with the purchase of additional spare engines, forms a strong and reliable foundation for comprehensive engine support, enhancing fleet reliability and operational continuity. Being the Kingdom of Bahrain's national carrier, Gulf Air operates one of the region's most modern and efficient fleets, which includes 29 LEAP-1A-powered A320neo family aircraft, continued collaboration with CFM is key to operational excellence; and a renewed affirmation of CFM's support and technical expertise. 'We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with CFM, who have been a key partner of our growth since our first CFM engine operations in the 1990s', said Dr. Jeffrey Goh, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Air Group. 'This agreement will enable us to secure MRO capacity for our fleet and maintain our growth.' 'It's an honor to further expand our relationship with Gulf Air, a long-standing member of the CFM family', said Gaël Meheust, President and CEO of CFM International. 'This agreement commits us to provide Gulf Air with the best CFM standards in terms of support, reliability, and utilization for its LEAP fleet.'
Zawya
2 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Gulf Air renews CFM engine support deal for A320neo fleet
In a sign of a long-standing and trusted collaboration, Bahrain's national carrier Gulf Air and CFM International, a Franco-American aircraft engine manufacturer, have extended the airline's long-term CFM LEAP-1A Services for A320neo family aircraft. Signed during the Paris Airshow 2025 which runs until June 22, this strategic extension, along with the purchase of additional spare engines, forms a strong and reliable foundation for comprehensive engine support, enhancing fleet reliability and operational continuity. Being the kingdom's flagcarrier, Gulf Air said it operates one of the region's most modern and efficient fleets, which includes 29 LEAP-1A-powered A320neo family aircraft. And this continued collaboration with CFM is key to operational excellence; and a renewed affirmation of CFM's support and technical expertise, it stated. On the strategic partnership, Gulf Air Group CEO Dr Jeffrey Goh said: "We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with CFM, who have been a key partner of our growth since our first CFM engine operations in the 1990s." "This agreement will enable us to secure MRO capacity for our fleet and maintain our growth," he stated. "It's an honour to further expand our relationship with Gulf Air, a long-standing member of the CFM family," said Gaël Meheust, President and CEO of CFM International. "This agreement commits us to provide Gulf Air with the best CFM standards in terms of support, reliability, and utilization for its LEAP fleet," he added. Gulf Air has been operating since 1950, making it one of the earliest airlines established in the Middle East. The airline operates scheduled flights from its hub at Bahrain International Airport to various destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Far East. Gulf Air is recognized as a "Five-Star Major Airline" by APEX, based on verified traveler reviews, and has been awarded this prestigious status for the year 2025. The airline was also named "World's Most Improved Airline" in 2022 by Skytrax.
