Figma Shares Indicated To Open $105/$110
Investing.com - The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued an urgent safety recommendation Wednesday regarding potential smoke hazards in aircraft equipped with CFM International LEAP-1B engines, which are used on Boeing (NYSE:BA) 737 Max jets.
The safety alert follows an investigation into a December 2023 incident where a Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) Boeing 737-8 experienced "acrid white smoke" in the cockpit after a bird strike damaged the left engine shortly after takeoff from New Orleans. The crew was able to don oxygen masks, clear the smoke, and land safely without injuries.
NTSB investigators determined that the engine’s load reduction device (LRD), designed to minimize vibration transmission from damaged engines to the airframe, can damage the engine oil system. This damage allows smoke from hot oil to enter the aircraft’s ventilation system and subsequently the cockpit or cabin.
A similar incident occurred in March 2023 when vapor fog filled the passenger cabin of another Southwest flight after bird ingestion into the right engine during departure from Havana, Cuba.
The NTSB recommended that the Federal Aviation Administration ensure operators inform flight crews about this potential hazard and appropriate mitigation actions. Boeing has already revised flight manuals with procedures to prevent smoke intrusion following LRD activation.
Additional recommendations were issued to the FAA, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and Civil Aviation Administration of China to evaluate whether LEAP-1A and LEAP-1C engine variants, used on Airbus A320neo aircraft, might present similar risks.
The safety board also recommended that aviation regulators require operators to implement software modifications developed by CFM and Boeing to address the issue.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.