The US Safety Board wants warnings about the Boeing 737 Max engine on smoke entering the cockpit
Washington: The National Transportation Safety Board issued an emergency safety advisory Wednesday to address the possibility of smoke entering the cockpit or cabin of the largest Boeing 737 plane with the CFM International Leap-1B engine.
NTSB recommended assessing the same problem potential with LEAP-1A and LEAP-1C engines used in some Airbus A320neo variations and COMAC's Chinese-made C919 jets.
This recommendation comes after two incidents, including Southwest Airlines' Boeing 737 Max Jet, which experienced a bird strike in 2023. The NTSB wants to ensure that the Federal Aviation Administration notifies the squadron of planes equipped with the affected engine.
Southwest said it is considering its recommendations and that mitigation procedures are currently in place. Southwest notified flight crews about the impact of a specific bird strike following two events in 2023, reiterating the importance of following established safety procedures.
CFM, the world's largest engine manufacturer with units sold, is jointly owned by Ge Aerospace and Safran.
The NTSB said it is important for pilots flying planes equipped with CFM International Leap-1B engines to ensure that if the load reduction device is activated during the critical phase of flight (take-off or landing), it is fully aware of the possibility of smoke in the cockpit.”
Both the FAA and Boeing agreed to the NTSB recommendations, and PlaneMaker warned operators that as a result of the bird strike, they could enter smoke into the flight deck following the activation of engine load reduction devices (LRDs).
“We advised operators to assess procedures and crew training to address this potential issue,” the FAA said. “If engine manufacturers develop permanent mitigation, they require operators to implement it within the appropriate timeline.”
Boeing said CFM and Boeing are “working on updating their software design.” NTSB hopes that all 737 maximum planes will need updates once completed.
GE, Airbus and Comac did not respond to requests for comment immediately
The NTSB asked the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and China's Civil Aviation Agency to determine whether other variants of the CFM Leap engine are also more likely to smoke in the cabin or cockpit once the LRD is activated. Easa did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In November, the FAA said no immediate action was required after convening a review committee to consider concerns about the Boeing 737's maximum engine after the two bird strike incident involving the CFM LEAP-1B.
The FAA was considering new takeoff procedures recommendations to close airflow to one or both engines to address the potential effects of bird strikes and to prevent smoke from entering the cockpit.
In 2024, NTSB began investigating the left-sided engine bird strike and subsequent smoke at a cockpit event that occurred near New Orleans in December 2023.
Another incident occurred on a Southwest flight in March 2023 when he left Havana, where a bird strike led to smoke filling the passenger cabin.
In February 2024, Boeing issued a bulletin to notify potential flight decks and cabin effects related to potential flight decks and severe engine damage.
