Thu, Jan 22, 2004
MD-80 Operators Worldwide Notified of Problem
On Tuesday, ANN
reported the massive travel delays in Japan caused by the grounding
of some McDonnell Douglas jets. Japan Air System's MD-80 fleet is
undergoing emergency inspections after cracks were found in some
Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 engines used on this series of
aircraft. Now, the US government is stepping in to monitor the
situation and take domestic action, as necessary.
A FAA spokesman said the FAA is keeping an eye on the situation
but say it is too early to order inspections of similar jetliners
in the United States.
"We are aware of the situation and if we believe any action is
warranted on our part we certainly wouldn't hesitate to take it,"
spokesman Les Dorr said.
Mechanics found a crack in a vane -- small, stationary blade --
in the 8th stage of the compressor on the jet engine. The company
has not yet determined the cause of the cracks before deciding
whether to broaden the inspections to other airlines.
The engine manufacturer
says it has notified operators of MD-80s worldwide about the issue
and is keeping them updated about the progress of the inspections.
It expects to finish inspections of the Japan Airlines fleet on
Wednesday.
Small cracks were found in 17 of the 34 engines inspected in
Japan thus far, according to Mark Sullivan, a spokesman for Pratt
& Whitney.
The JT8D-200 Pratt & Whitney engine is the only engine used
on the MD-80 series aircraft, and there are more than 1,000 of the
aircraft worldwide.
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