Here is an article I found interesting from last year.
As you know, Boeing doesn't make engines. Customers select which brand they want.
Or in the case of Southwest, some bean counter said "Hey! Let's take those old engines off the old airframes, refurbish them, and hang then on our newer fleet!"
Cutting Costs Costs Lives!
http://www.mro-network.com/maintenance-repair-overhaul/southwest-uses-737-retirements-drop-costsSouthwest Airlines is phasing out its Boeing 737 Classic aircraft by about 2017 and is finding ways to use engine inventory from that fleet to decrease its maintenance costs.
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Mandy Gower, Southwest Airlines’ powerplant supply chain manager, told Aviation Week that the airline employs MTU Canada and BP Aerospace in Irvine, Calif., to tear down its CFMI CFM56-3s that power the Classics. The airline just took the next step and selected Avioserv San Diego to consign the material. Avioserv, a company that specializes in the supply and sale of serviceable engines, will be Southwest’s sole consignment partner to feed used serviceable material back to the airline to decrease CFM56-3 engine overhaul costs. Several parts on the -3, which power Southwest’s 737-300/-400/-500 aircraft, are interchangeable with the CFMI CFM56-7, the engine on the 737-700. Avioserv also will market the excess engine inventory.My buddy who flies 737 sleds for a competing airlines just sent this as a reply to my email about this incident:
Yep, they've been having an inordinately high number of engine issues. Word on the street is when they have an issue that less catastrophic, rather than report it as per regulations, they simply change out the engine without reporting.
GE and Boeing recommend a 3 minute warmup and cool down period. Meaning 3 minutes from start to takeoff thrust and 3 minutes from high power setting of reverse (landing) to shutdown on taxi to gate. At least in the past, SWA never seemed to follow that guideline. It's pretty important for the life of the engine.
Also, ever wonder why SWA doesn't go to Hawaii? It's because Thank God the FAA mandates very strict and lengthy engine monitoring and proof of reliability programs before permitting it. SWA has had some serious 'documentation' issues in the not so distant past.
It's just their business model. Anyway, it doesn't really surprise me all that much, just a horrific tragedy for the poor fatality and their family as well as the trauma to all the other pax. Of course, I can't say too much, my company killed everyone on board trying to save money on tail jackscrew grease and inspections.For the record, SW has submitting FAA paperwork to begin flying to Hawaii. Something tells me they're going to be under scrutiny.
