Advises Operators To Avoid High-Level Thunderstorm

Boeing has voluntarily informed operators of its 747-8 and Dreamliner airplanes that there could be an issue with icing in the GEnx engines hung from the wings of the airliners.

From April to November, there have been six incidents of ice crystals building up behind the front compressor fan of the engine which are then ingested, causing a temporary loss of thrust, according to a report from Reuters. All of the affected airplanes landed safely at their destinations, according to a spokesman from GE.

As a result, Boeing has advised the 15 airlines operating the airplanes to avoid flying within 50 nautical miles of high-level thunderstorms that might produce the ice crystals.

The move has prompted several operators to pull the airplanes from some long-haul routes. JAL is replacing Dreamliners on its routes between Tokyo and Delhi and Singapore. It is also changing its plans to fly the Dreamliner on its Tokyo to Sydney route, but will continue to fly the aircraft on other domestic and international routes that have less chance of encountering thunderstorms.

GE and Boeing are reportedly working on an engine control software modification that they anticipate will eliminate the problem.

Dreamliners powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines are not affected.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.geaviation.com. www.boing.com