Faa Orders Parts Removed From Planes

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered the removal of faulty parts from three passenger airplanes Tuesday because of a flaw in the same engine piece thought responsible for a July 7 fatal accident.

The turbofan, JT8D-type Pratt & Whitney engines in question are the same model as an engine that blew apart on takeoff on the Delta flight in Florida, killing a woman and her son.

The FAA said the faulty parts on the three engines all had been removed. The agency also ordered the removal of faulty parts from three of the same engines that had not been flying.

The FAA ordered the engines out of service after reviewing Pratt & Whitney records that showed these engines had “surface anomalies” with their tie-bolt holes, which attach the fan hubs to the center of the engine.

A surface anomaly, if not addressed, can lead to a crack.

The National Transportation Safety Board suspects that an inch-deep crack in the fan hub caused the engine to blow apart as the Florida Delta flight accelerated for takeoff, spraying shards of metal that killed the woman and her son.