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Economic Times
a day ago
- Automotive
- Economic Times
US govt's accident investigation agency issues an urgent warning for Boeing, Airbus planes
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation, has issued an urgent safety alert concerning certain engines used in Boeing and Airbus aircraft, warning of a risk that smoke could fill the cockpit and passenger cabin during warning applies specifically to CFM International's LEAP-1B engines, which are used on Boeing 737 Max and some Airbus A320neo aircraft. The NTSB says a safety feature called the load reduction device—designed to limit vibrations if an engine is damaged—can accidentally interfere with the engine's oil system, allowing hot oil fumes to leak into the plane's ventilation.'Such a condition can allow smoke from hot oil to enter the ventilation system and ultimately the cockpit or passenger cabin,' the NTSB advisory follows a series of smoke-related incidents, including one on a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max in December 2023, when the jet's left engine ingested a bird shortly after takeoff from New Orleans. The cockpit filled with thick, 'acrid white smoke,' forcing the crew to wear oxygen masks and return to the airport. A similar event was reported on another Southwest flight out of Havana earlier that no injuries were reported in either case, the NTSB is urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to require airlines to inform flight crews if their aircraft are equipped with the affected engines. Boeing has already updated its flight manuals to help pilots manage such NTSB also called on aviation regulators in Europe and China to evaluate whether other variants of the CFM LEAP engine might face similar problems. In addition, the agency is recommending that both the FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) mandate new software modifications developed by CFM and Boeing to prevent future smoke incidents.'We are aligned with the NTSB's recommendations, and work is already underway in close partnership with our airframers,' a CFM spokesperson told The warning comes amid growing scrutiny of U.S. aviation safety, following several recent incidents—including a deadly plane crash in Philadelphia and a mid-air collision near Washington, D.C.—that have raised alarm across the airline industry.
Time of India
a day ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
US govt's accident investigation agency issues an urgent warning for Boeing, Airbus planes
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation, has issued an urgent safety alert concerning certain engines used in Boeing and Airbus aircraft, warning of a risk that smoke could fill the cockpit and passenger cabin during flight. The warning applies specifically to CFM International's LEAP-1B engines, which are used on Boeing 737 Max and some Airbus A320neo aircraft. The NTSB says a safety feature called the load reduction device—designed to limit vibrations if an engine is damaged—can accidentally interfere with the engine's oil system, allowing hot oil fumes to leak into the plane's ventilation. 'Such a condition can allow smoke from hot oil to enter the ventilation system and ultimately the cockpit or passenger cabin,' the NTSB said. The advisory follows a series of smoke-related incidents, including one on a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max in December 2023, when the jet's left engine ingested a bird shortly after takeoff from New Orleans. The cockpit filled with thick, 'acrid white smoke,' forcing the crew to wear oxygen masks and return to the airport. A similar event was reported on another Southwest flight out of Havana earlier that year. While no injuries were reported in either case, the NTSB is urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to require airlines to inform flight crews if their aircraft are equipped with the affected engines. Boeing has already updated its flight manuals to help pilots manage such scenarios. Live Events The NTSB also called on aviation regulators in Europe and China to evaluate whether other variants of the CFM LEAP engine might face similar problems. In addition, the agency is recommending that both the FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) mandate new software modifications developed by CFM and Boeing to prevent future smoke incidents. 'We are aligned with the NTSB's recommendations, and work is already underway in close partnership with our airframers,' a CFM spokesperson told The Independent . The warning comes amid growing scrutiny of U.S. aviation safety, following several recent incidents—including a deadly plane crash in Philadelphia and a mid-air collision near Washington, D.C.—that have raised alarm across the airline industry. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
New York Post
2 days 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.'
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Indian Express
US NTSB issues urgent safety recommendation on smoke risk from CFM engines on Boeing 737 Max jets; Air India Express, Akasa Air among engine users
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued an 'urgent safety recommendation' to mitigate the possibility of smoke entering the cockpit or cabin of Boeing 737 Max aircraft flying on LEAP-1B engines in case of engine damage. Air India Express and Akasa Air are prominent Indian airlines that operate the Boeing 737 Max aircraft equipped with LEAP-1B engines, which are manufactured by CFM International. The problem, however, may not be limited to the Boeing 737 Max jets, which have been under the scanner for the past few years over other safety concerns. The US transportation accident investigation body has also issued additional recommendations to evaluate the potential of the same problem with LEAP-1A and -1C engines. The LEAP-1A engine is one of the engine options for the Airbus A320neo aircraft, the main narrow-body workhorse for IndiGo and Air India. Smoke in the aircraft, specifically in the cockpit, could pose a potential safety hazard as it can impair the pilots' ability to operate the plane, particularly during critical flight phases like take-off and landing, according to industry insiders. The NTSB recommendations could require aviation regulators globally, including in India, to issue advisories to airlines and even mandate corrective action for engines, which is expected to be one involving system software upgrades in scores of aircraft. India's aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has so far not commented on the issue. Akasa Air and Air India Express have also not commented so far. In its 'urgent' recommendation to the US aviation regulator—the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)—the NTSB has asked it to ensure that airlines inform pilots of aircraft equipped with LEAP-1B engines about the potential hazard of smoke entering the aircraft cockpit and cabin. In its probe into two such incidents, the NTSB found that the engine load reduction device (LRD)—a safety feature designed to reduce the severity of vibrations transmitted from a damaged engine to the airframe—can result in damage to the engine oil system. This could allow smoke from hot oil to enter the cockpit or passenger cabin through the plane's ventilation system. The NTSB also asked the FAA and European aviation regulator—European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)—to require all operators of the affected engines to incorporate software modifications being developed by CFM and Boeing. Usually, aviation regulators globally follow FAA and EASA's lead. Reacting to the NTSB's recommendations, a CFM spokesperson said: '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.' CFM, a joint-venture of US-based GE Aerospace and France-based Safran, is a major aircraft engine manufacturer globally. Both the incidents investigated by the NTSB involved US carrier Southwest Airlines' Boeing 737 Max jets. In both incidents, which took place in 2023, bird strikes led to engine damage, which consequently led to smoke entering the cockpit in one case and the passenger cabin in the other. 'The recommendations stem from the NTSB's investigation into a December 2023 incident in which smoke entered the airplane after a bird was ingested into the left engine of a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-8 shortly after departing New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 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 NTSB said. A similar engine damage event occurred in March 2023 on another Southwest flight when vapour fog filled the passenger cabin after birds were ingested into the right engine shortly after departing Havana, Cuba. 'Concerned that flight crews operating these airplanes may not be fully aware of the potential hazard of an LRD smoke-related event along with the appropriate mitigation actions, the NTSB issued an urgent safety recommendation to the Federal Aviation Administration asking the agency to ensure that operators inform flight crews of airplanes equipped with the affected engines. Boeing has revised flight manuals for pilots detailing the steps to take to prevent smoke from entering the cockpit or cabin following an LRD activation,' the NTSB said. 'Once CFM International and Boeing complete the development and certification process for software modifications to the CFM International LEAP-1B engines, require all operators of airplanes equipped with CFM International LEAP-1B engines to incorporate the software modification developed…to prevent or limit the amount of smoke released into the cockpit or cabin after load reduction device activation,' the NTSP mentioned it is report. The NTSB further asked CFM and Boeing to work together to complete the development and certification process for the necessary software modification. It also asked the FAA and EASA to work with CFM, Airbus, and the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China to 'determine if CFM International LEAP-1A or -1C engines are at risk of smoke in the cockpit or cabin as a result of load reduction device activation and require affected operators to incorporate any modification that results'. Sukalp Sharma is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 13 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More
Reuters
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Reuters
NTSB wants action on CFM LEAP-1B engines over smoke entering cockpit
WASHINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) - The National Transportation Safety Board issued an urgent safety recommendation Wednesday to address the possibility of smoke entering the cockpit or cabin of Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab or Airbus airplanes equipped with CFM International LEAP-1B engines. The NTSB also recommended evaluating the potential for the same issue with LEAP-1A and -1C engines. The recommendation comes after two incidents involving a Southwest Airlines (LUV.N), opens new tab 737 MAX in 2023. The NTSB wants the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure that operators inform flight crews of airplanes equipped with the affected engines. CFM LEAP engines are used on variants of Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX. CFM, the world's largest engine maker by units sold, is co-owned by GE Aerospace (GE.N), opens new tab and Safran ( opens new tab.
