Boeing 787 Dreamliner Engine Fix is Urgent, FAA Said

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner of Scoot

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner of Scoot. Describing it as a "matter of urgent security", the Federal Aviation Administration has ordered specific changes in General Electric engines in some 787 Dreamliner due to a problem of icing could force the engines shut down during the flight.

"Airworthiness Directive" FAA Friday stems from an incident on January 29 aboard a 787 flying at about 20,000 feet. "Ice emerges from the fan blades ... causing the leaves rub against the fan housing, resulting in engine vibration," GE spokesman Rick Kennedy Aviation told CNN. That forced an engine off and the plane landed safely with its remaining engine.

According to the document from the FAA, "Susceptibility to Rubs blade heavy fan, if not corrected, could result in engine damage and possible loss of power can not be restarted in flight of one or both engines. "

"The potential for common cause failure of both engines in flight is an urgent security problem," said FAA document. The engine type is the GEnx-1B PIP2. The order affects about 176 Dreamliner to 29 airlines worldwide, according to the FAA document.

FAA Opinion

The mandate of the FAA covers 43 US Dreamliner in the US But because most other countries follow the example of the FAA, it is expected that other nations do the same. Boeing and GE have jointly investigated this problem and worked with the FAA on a plan to fully resolve, Boeing said Friday. GE recommends corrective measures for operators April 1. The work entrusted is underway, Boeing said, with more than 40 Dreamliner engine returns to work completed so far. The airworthiness directive FAA requires airlines to make recommendations to GE within 150 days.

"We are working with operators to avoid disruption plane," Kennedy said. "The process takes about 16 hours using a grinding machine fan. All work is done on the wings without moving the engine." For pilots who are flying 787 that have not been subjected to the restart, however, the FAA has ordered a method of removing ice during flight.

Whenever pilots suspect that the accumulation of ice above 12,500 feet - or when the indicator light is confirmed - the pilots to each engine revolution is recommended in 85% of the maximum acceleration every five minutes.

airworthiness directives of the FAA are not uncommon. They are issued as part of a long development of standards and safety specifications between aircraft manufacturers, operators and regulators. FAA said carriers in 2013 on storms which carry ice crystals that could be ingested engine thrust causing miss and possibly closed. Kennedy said the latter issue has nothing to do with it.