Hits keep coming for Boeing

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(CNN)The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered inspections of a Boeing 737 model after the company notified the agency of structural cracks.

Operators of certain 737 Next Generation planes will be required to make inspections, the FAA said.

"Boeing notified the agency of the matter after it discovered the cracks while conducting modifications on a heavily used aircraft. Subsequent inspections uncovered similar cracks in a small number of additional planes. The FAA will instruct operators to conduct specific inspections, make any necessary repairs and to report their findings to the agency immediately," the agency said.

The cracking was found in the plane's pickle forks, which attach the plane's body to its wing structure, CNN affiliate KOMO reported.

KOMO

Engineers design pickle forks to last the lifetime of the plane, more than 90,000 landings and takeoffs, a term known as "flight cycles" in the aviation industry, without developing cracks. There could be dire results if the pickle fork system on the jet fails in flight.

During a recent inspection, workers found a severely cracked pickle fork on a Boeing 737NG. The plane is relatively young, having logged approximately 35,000 flight cycles when the damage was found.

A retired Boeing engineer who asked to remain anonymous tells us, "It's unusual to have a crack in the pickle fork. It's not designed to crack that way at all. Period."

He says it's particularly concerning because it was found so early in the plane's service.

Another source tells us Boeing quickly reported the issue with the single plane to the FAA last week, and now more planes with similar cracking have been found.

An additional headache that Boeing doesn't really need. We'll see how many they find with issues in the next week or so, I'd imagine.

The pickle fork is an inspection item. They should already be inspecting it and finding any issues without the warnings.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
The pickle fork is an inspection item. They should already be inspecting it and finding any issues without the warnings.

Well, evidently it was not being inspected and or marked down or they would have been filtering in all along instead of being found out just now while they were grounded.

a reply to: Zaphod58

On my carbon bike frame I regularly inspect it for cracks by running a 220,000 btu heater in my garage for a bit then check it over with my infrared camera. A crack is pretty easy to notice when the heat disapates. Youd think the aviation industry would have better tools than me to monitor these things.

Found a link showing a schematic of the forks attaching the wing box to the fuselage.

Yes, obviously they have an inspection schedule, Zaph. The fact they first found cracks 35,000 cycles into a 90,000 projected lifecycle during a modification project and then found others when they went hunting afterwards, indicates they aren't a routine inspection item -- which would have caught them earlier.

originally posted by: rickymouse

originally posted by: Zaphod58
The pickle fork is an inspection item. They should already be inspecting it and finding any issues without the warnings.

Well, evidently it was not being inspected and or marked down or they would have been filtering in all along instead of being found out just now while they were grounded.

The NG is not currently grounded. The MAX ia grounded. They found this during a tear down and modification, not during regularly scheduled maintenance.

originally posted by: RadioRobert

originally posted by: rickymouse

originally posted by: Zaphod58
The pickle fork is an inspection item. They should already be inspecting it and finding any issues without the warnings.

Well, evidently it was not being inspected and or marked down or they would have been filtering in all along instead of being found out just now while they were grounded.

The NG is not currently grounded. The MAX ia grounded. They found this during a tear down and modification, not during regularly scheduled maintenance.

But shouldn't they be catching that during maintenance inspections? I wasn't aware that the NG was not grounded, I guess I assumed it was one of the planes that they had problems with.

a reply to: rickymouse

Only certain aircraft are being inspected. One theory is that aircraft that were modified with the split scimitar winglet are involved. That winglet adds a decent amount of weight to the wingtip.

Crap....you know what though.....as a safety officer type and a seasoned pilot...I stand....

Stand on this conviction....if it's not Boeing....I'm not going....

I can feel adverse yaw on the Air Bus....and never on a 757 and smaller......I feel the yaw. Damper or someth8ng making that s. o. b. Friggin yaw...a bunch the whole flight....no joy men....

Love a Boeing....

What did air bus do...make the vertical stabilizer smaller so it wouldn't snap the crap off....!Like in New York 5 years ago....more on subject.....Boeing srock.....Lordy....on Mondat....good God y'all ..is this my fault...We sell equities starting on Rosh....which is Monday....I've set the sell for 3 clients....buying back 40 days later on Atonement.....equities gonna take a hit.....

a reply to: GBP/JPY

a reply to: RadioRobert

What they expect when they use chinese steel and aluminum.

a reply to: CthruU

That has nothing to do with it. It may have something to do with a new cutting process. If it was Chinese aluminum it would be all NG aircraft, not a select few.

originally posted by: CthruU
a reply to: RadioRobert

What they expect when they use chinese steel and aluminum.

Shhh. That's a naughty subject.

So you guys all know about that steel....their bulldozers....Shantui.....out of Shandong

Shandong makes the undercarriage for Caterpillar, too but, Usa banks wont even finance The Shantui dozers...the bolts strip out of the steel and leaves a mealy look....like the doors on a brand new dozer....wont latch....I put trucker tarp black elastic straps across from one door to the other or ya have to park it...

snd a reply to: RadioRobert

They can always track back the part batch numbers to manufacturer metallurgy reports..

A total of 1,911 US registered planes require inspection, but only 165 aircraft require immediate inspection. Aircraft with more than 30,000 cycles require inspection within 7 days. Aircraft between 22,600 and 29,999 cycles have 1,000 cycles to complete their inspections. Each inspection takes approximately an hour to complete, and looks for cracks of the left and right hand side outboard chords of frame fittings and failsafe straps.

www.reuters.com...

Sounds like we'll know relatively soon how widespread it is.

The aircraft that the cracks were found on was at a modification center in China. If it was flown in Asia, it would be interesting to see the records and history of the aircraft and see if that played a role. Corrosion tends to be worse in some parts of Asia and the Pacific region.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Corrosion in the amounts required to weaken a part designed to last the aircraft lifetime exceptionally early would be immediately noticeable. One would expect it to be mentioned in the AD.

Two Southwest aircraft were found with cracks.