Lots of failures of front of engine/cowling on airliners these days

[Puma44]

I'd expect that fluoroscoping would show such things.

Time consuming, hence expensive for a big fleet.

- oldmand

Yep, a daunting task for a fleet of 700 jets with most of them moving all over the place every day. 

[saggs]

Assuming that the fan blade failed in the same manner as the 2016 incident, how exactly does one inspect the fan blades for internal cracks, which cannot be seen from the outside?

X-ray, eddy current, ultrasonic...

[Vraciu]

Or material failure of the blade.  Catastrophic regardless.

This.

IMO the cowling failed because of the turbine blade going ballistic.

[ACE]

Yep, a daunting task for a fleet of 700 jets with most of them moving all over the place every day. 

Still needs to be done.

[Puma44]

Still needs to be done.

Wasn’t implying that it didn’t need to be done.

[Puma44]

From this article today.  http://www.kvoa.com/story/38004040/southwest-gives-5000-checks-to-passengers-on-flight-1380

“The NTSB will look into how an interior crack on a fan blade led to the engine failure. Sumwalt said the crack was not detectable from the outside. One of the cracks was consistent with metal fatigue, he said.”

[Vraciu]

From this article today.  http://www.kvoa.com/story/38004040/southwest-gives-5000-checks-to-passengers-on-flight-1380

“The NTSB will look into how an interior crack on a fan blade led to the engine failure. Sumwalt said the crack was not detectable from the outside. One of the cracks was consistent with metal fatigue, he said.”

Get ready for time-based blade replacement.   Probably a good idea but not cheap.    Single-piece fans...that’s another can of worms. 

[ACE]

Wasn’t implying that it didn’t need to be done.

Wasn’t assuming you were. Just stating the obvious. Far to often do compaines put profits over safety.

[Puma44]

Wasn’t assuming you were. Just stating the obvious. Far to often do compaines put profits over safety.

Southwest doesn’t ever compromise safety.  It’s the number one priority every day, every flight.

[Vraciu]

Wasn’t assuming you were. Just stating the obvious. Far to often do compaines put profits over safety.

Painting with a broad brush there.  Southwest didn't compile their excellent safety record by chance or by cutting corners. 

[guncrasher]

south west has never had an airplane crash.  couple of dead here and there.


semp

[DaveBB]

From this article today.  http://www.kvoa.com/story/38004040/southwest-gives-5000-checks-to-passengers-on-flight-1380

“The NTSB will look into how an interior crack on a fan blade led to the engine failure. Sumwalt said the crack was not detectable from the outside. One of the cracks was consistent with metal fatigue, he said.”

Ultrasonic or phased array inspection would have detected that easily.  However, the logistics of testing each fan blade are pretty time consuming.  The fact that the crack started inside the blade leads me to suspect it had an internal manufacturing defect from which the crack propagated.

However, if I were a cynic, I would think that they were just saying it wasn't detectable from the exterior because they missed it during normal inspection (most likely due to poorly trained technicians).

[Vraciu]

south west has never had an airplane crash.  couple of dead here and there.


semp

One death in an overrun in Chicago.  The plane hit a car on the perimeter road.

One death after an attempted takeover of the cockpit.  Passengers subdued the man leading to his death.

Then this one.

After 47 years of flying and the massive number of cycles they've generated that's borderline miraculous.

[Puma44]

However, if I were a cynic, I would think that they were just saying it wasn't detectable from the exterior because they missed it during normal inspection (most likely due to poorly trained technicians).

It a good thing you aren’t a cynic, otherwise I would raise a very large BS Flag.  Southwest has THE FINEST maintenance technicians in the industry.  Each and everyone of them has skin in this game.  They all travel on company jets.  Their family members travel on company jets.  They all, myself included, will go out of their way to fly Southwest vs a brand X airlines because of Southwest’s sterling safety record.  A very large part of that is because of our maintainers.  In my 20 years of experience, there’s never been an instance of a mechanic short cutting anything.  On the contrary, they won’t hesitate to take a jet out of service if it isn’t up to par.  Southwest doesn’t do any “poorly trained” anything, at any level.  So, choose your words carefully.

[Oldman731]

It a good thing you aren’t a cynic, otherwise I would raise a very large BS Flag.  Southwest has THE FINEST maintenance technicians in the industry.  Each and everyone of them has skin in this game.  They all travel on company jets.  Their family members travel on company jets.  They all, myself included, will go out of their way to fly Southwest vs a brand X airlines because of Southwest’s sterling safety record.  A very large part of that is because of our maintainers.  In my 20 years of experience, there’s never been an instance of a mechanic short cutting anything.  On the contrary, they won’t hesitate to take a jet out of service if it isn’t up to par.  Southwest doesn’t do any “poorly trained” anything, at any level.  So, choose your words carefully.

Heh. 

Clever readers might surmise that Puma44 knows a thing or two about Southwest and its aeroplanes.

Just a guess, you understand....

- oldman