Fedex Contests Cargo Jet Limits

Federal Express Corp. officials Wednesday told a Federal Aviation Administration hearing that its 727 cargo jets are safe and shouldn’t be held to proposed load restrictions.

The FAA has proposed restricting the amount of cargo that can be carried in converted Boeing 727s because of concern about the strength of the planes’ floors.

But FedEx, which operates 120 converted 727s, the world’s largest fleet, said it has spent $1.5 million to have independent tests performed on the planes and has found no problems.

The FAA says its studies suggest that cargo floor beams may collapse under heavy weight if a plane experiences violent turbulence or extreme maneuvers. That could lead to a crash, the FAA says.

No such failures have been reported. The limits would not apply to passenger planes or to 727s that Boeing specifically engineered to haul freight.

Tom McSweeney, director of the FAA’s Aircraft Certification Service, said it’s the agency’s job to determine whether an unsafe condition exists, and if so, to act on it.

“We’re not going to wait until we lose an airplane to decide whether we are right,” he said.

The FAA’s proposed airworthiness directive would limit the cargo planes to 3,000 pounds per cargo container or pallet until the structure is modified. Currently, the limit is 8,000 pounds per container.