The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an emergency airworthiness directive on Friday, warning airlines that Boeing 737 jets that have been grounded because of the COVID-19 pandemic could be at risk of suffering a dual-engine loss when they are returned to service. The urgent warning followed four recent reports of single-engine shutdowns after parked planes had been put back into operation.
The directive effects 2,000 U.S. registered Boeing 737 NG and Classic aircraft which must now be checked for corrosion and a crucial part replaced if any damage is found before they are returned to service.
The FAA said in the directive that if the issue was not addressed “it could result in compressor stalls and dual-engine power loss without the ability to restart, which could result in a forced off-airport landing.”
Any aircraft that has been parked for seven days or more will have to be checked for corrosion of the engine bleed air 5th stage check valves.
U.S. airlines have put thousands of the affected aircraft into longterm storage because of the Corona crisis but are now starting to return aircraft to service as travel demand slowly starts to pick up.
Boeing acknowledged the issue, saying in a statement that it had advised airlines operating certain 737 NG and Classic models to carry out the necessary inspections. The aircraft manufacturer said, “with airplanes being stored or used infrequently due to lower demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, the valve can be more susceptible to corrosion.”
The FAA did not say when the issue was first detected or what airlines had been affected.
