50 Boeing 737 NGs grounded after cracks detected

Qantas stressed that the cracks did not ‘immediately compromise the safety of the aircraft’

(Qantas)

Around 50 Boeing 737 NG planes have been grounded after cracks were detected in them.

Australian carrier Qantas is the latest airline to remove one of its planes from service after cracks were found in the “pickle fork”, a part that connects the body of the aircraft to the wing.

It is inspecting 32 more aircraft immediately.

Earlier this month, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) issued guidance stating that planes with 30,000 or more “cycles” – take-offs and landings – have to be re-inspected within 60 days. Plane with more than 22,600 cycles need to be inspected within 1,000 more cycles.

More than 1,100 planes have been inspected so far, said Boeing, of which around 5 per cent were found to have this cracking.

Earlier this month, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines and Brazil’s Gol Linhas Aereas were among the airlines which grounded older Boeing 737NG jets.

A spokesperson for the Australian airline said: “Qantas would never operate an aircraft unless it was completely safe to do so.

“Detailed analysis by Boeing shows that even where this crack is present, it does not immediately compromise the safety of the aircraft – as indicated by the timeframe given by regulators to perform the checks.”

The plane that Qantas has grounded was relatively used, having completed just under 27,000 cycles. The lifespan design of the aircraft is around 90,000 cycles.

A Boeing spokesperson said that “safety and quality are Boeing’s top priorities”.

The Boeing spokesperson added: “After completing a round of inspections for cracking on some high-cycle 737NGs, one airplane was found to have a small crack in an adjacent location.

“To ensure a robust and comprehensive safety inspection process, Boeing has asked those operators to also inspect the adjacent area to ensure any potential issue is identified and repaired.

“The additional inspections are already under way. We regret the impact to our customers and have a repair plan in place to address any findings.”

This issue marks another blow for Boeing as it deals with the fall-out from the grounding of its 737 Max aircraft following two fatal crashes.

This week, Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg testified in front of US lawmakers. On Tuesday, senator Jon Tester, a Democrat from Montana, told the Boeing boss: “I would walk before I would get on a 737 Max.”

The planemaker expects the aircraft to be flying again by the end of the year.