FAA widens inspection of jet engines after Southwest accident

WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators are expanding an emergency order for airlines to inspect fan blades in the engines of Boeing 737 jets for cracks indicating wear and tear.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday it will require blades on certain CFM engines be inspected before they hit 20,000 flights. Engines already beyond the milestone must be inspected by around late August.

When engines hit 20,000 "cycles," or flights, the FAA also will require repeat inspections of the blades every 3,000 flights -- roughly every 18 to 24 months.

The FAA order backs up recommendations issued by engine maker CFM International, a joint venture of General Electric Co. and France's Safran SA.

Last month, the FAA required emergency inspections of blades in engines after 30,000 flights.

The agency said the order will affect 3,716 engines -- each Boeing 737 has two engines -- on U.S. planes. The FAA said it was acting before giving airlines a chance to comment because of the "unsafe condition" if cracked blades are on planes.

Investigators believe cracks caused a fan blade on a Southwest Airlines jet to shear off last month, starting an engine breakup leaving one passenger dead after debris hit the plane.

The National Transportation Board's final determination on the cause of the accident is likely a year or more away.

Southwest officials say workers have inspected about 25,000 of the airline's 35,500 engine fan blades and found one last year cracked and replaced it. Southwest says it will inspect its remaining blades by mid-May.