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Southwest Airlines cancels dozens of flights for engine inspections after passenger death

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Southwest Airlines canceled about 40 flights Sunday to perform fan blade inspections days after a passenger was partially sucked out of a window and killed. The cancellations were voluntary and part of an accelerated engine fan blade inspection program announced Tuesday, the airline said in a written statement. (www.dallasnews.com) More...

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calipsso
Can't read the article without subscription. That's not very helpful...
prestontoborg
You need to turn your ad blocker off in order to read it... If you would have read the warning it popped up with.

GaAubie
Ken Hardy 2
Pushing the envelope in engine design always has a way of coming back to bit, the days of the sales pitch of " Our engines stay on the wing forever and only use a teaspoon of fuel " are over or should be over, I remember an old friend who was Chief Inspector of Eastern telling me once, we have to do our best job inspecting our aircraft because if some breaks, the pilot can't pull over to the curb.
jeffaajones
Jeff Jones 2
As a career airline pilot for the last 40 years I would like to weigh in on this conversation. First of all airliners and the engines that are on them are designed to last for decades. Even a narrow body such as the 737 retail cost is about $85 million dollars. They have to be designed to last for years to recover that type of an investment. The B-737 along with the CFM engine is one of the most reliable airliners/engines ever built. That being said, without proper care and maintenance it will fail. And sometimes even with proper care it can fail. I have 17 years of experience flying the 737-800 and the 737-200 along with other commercial airliners. I am a bit suspect of the care and maintenance that Southwest has given their aircraft. I believe that there have been at least 3 of their 737's have un-contained engine failures. Two have occurred in flight in the last 2 or three years. One was on the ground, but all three caused damage to the pressurized areas of the airplane. That is not normal. Maybe we will find out why when the NTSB completes their investigation.
sueridge307
sueridge307 2
My friend's flight from Denver to KLAS had being cancelled yesterday. She was put on another delta flight to KLAS to connect with the BA flight to london

[This comment has been downvoted. Show anyway.]

BSJ
Brian Johnson 21
How 'bout you find somewhere else to be snarky when you have nothing else to do.

[This comment has been downvoted. Show anyway.]

KobeHunte
Kobe Hunte 4
You deserve that much thumbs down also.

What do you think squawks are for?
To post airplane/airline news that has happened or going to happen.

Why do you think that this Squawk has so many thumbs up???
zuluzuluzulu
zuluzuluzulu 1
Aircraft engines are routinely change based on time and cycles.
paulgilpin1953
paul gilpin 1
i'm sure there is nothing to it.
in 2016 when the SWA engine lost the cowling, it was the port engine.
now in 2016, the SWA engine lost the cowling, of the port engine.
kawinkydink
naaaaaaaaah
peterlmaas2
Peter Maas -2
Here I go again. I am very educated in metal fatigue. It always is an accident that prompts checking engines. SWA Airplane is 18 years old when one of the blades broke off in flight. Aircraft over 10 years old should be sold to the "Fly by Night" Airlines. We are the USA and should be able to fly safely and accidents caused by metal fatigue should never happen.
WhiteKnight77
WhiteKnight77 3
I am a former jet engine/helicopter mechanic. Accidents are caused by failure to follow a protocol. Does SWA not follow inspection schedules? I cannot say, I didn't work for them. Should they increase their inspection schedule due to such? It would be the smart thing to do. UT would be a faster and better way, but one could always set up a tent over an engine and do PT tests on it with fluorescent penetrant as another way. Something does need to change, they do not necessarily need to sell their planes to some one else just due to age. Everything has the ability to last an indeterminate number of years if cared for properly.

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