The Wall Street Journal
By Andy Pasztor and Jon Ostrower
Nov. 23, 2013 7:48 p.m. ET
Boeing
Co. has urged operators of 787 Dreamliners and the newest 747 models
that are powered by General Electric Co. engines to take special
precautions to avoid high-altitude thunderstorms that can cause engine
malfunctions.
The recommendation, which affects 17 passenger and
cargo carriers flying planes equipped with the GEnx family of engines,
ratchets up industry efforts to prevent dangerous engine icing that can
lead to sudden loss of thrust, internal damage and in extreme cases,
even a brief in-flight shutdown.
Boeing's action prompted Japan
Airlines Co. to replace 787 Dreamliners on routes linking Tokyo with New
Delhi and Singapore, as well as to drop plans for using 787s between
Tokyo and Sydney.
There have been six icing-related incidents
with such engines since April, most recently in early November,
affecting five 747s and one 787. GE has said all of the aircraft that
experienced engine issues landed safely at their destinations, and in
every case the engines resumed normal thrust.
Nevertheless, the
actions by Boeing and Japan Airlines, a major 787 customer, underscore
escalating industry concern over the issue.
GE previously advised
airlines about the problem and told them work was under way to come up
with a solution. Software fixes are expected to be available in the
first quarter of 2014.
Before that, U.S. and foreign regulators
are expected to mandate Boeing's nonbinding safety recommendation and
require airlines to install the revised engine-control software,
according to industry officials. The Federal Aviation Administration has
to test and approve the changes before they can be rolled out.
A Boeing spokesman said "changes will be introduced into the fleet as soon as they are available."
Japan
Airlines said in a statement that Boeing had instructed the airline to
not fly within 50 miles of specific types of weather. Such a restriction
is likely to increase the amount of fuel consumed by the flight,
undermining the jet's touted fuel-efficiency.
Japan Airlines said
its 787s would continue on other routes where they are less likely to
encounter the type of high-altitude storms that can cause tiny ice
crystals to build up inside the engines.
The airline's announcement also suggested it is likely to seek financial penalties from Boeing and GE.
The
Boeing spokesman said it doesn't publicly discuss its conversations
with customers. He said Boeing is "disappointed in any impact" to its
customers and "we regret the business disruption this will cause…and
remain ready to provide whatever assistance we can to Japan Airlines."
Other GEnx operators include Deutsche Lufthansa AG , United Continental Holdings Inc., TUI Travel PLC and Qatar Airways.
Deutsche
Lufthansa operates nine 747-8 aircraft with such engines, while Japan
Airlines has 11 Dreamliners and United Continental has seven aircraft
powered by GEnx engines.
Previously, experts believed such icing
occurred primarily below 25,000 feet. From the mid-1990s to the end of
2011, the FAA and various engine manufacturers investigated ice-crystal
buildups affecting more than 100 big jets around the world, including at
least 14 instances of dual-engine shutdowns, called "flameouts."
Starting in 2007, the industry successfully rolled out various
modifications to counter those hazards.
The latest engine
problems caught GE, Boeing and the FAA by surprise, partly because they
cropped up on a different engine model at significantly higher altitudes
than anticipated, according to industry officials. Moreover, the recent
incidents often occurred in clear air without clouds or signs of nearby
storms.
In the past decade, safety experts identified
significant increases in global engine-icing incidents, particularly as
air traffic grew over certain tropical regions. Since 2007, the industry
has rolled out numerous engine-software modifications, redesigned parts
and revised operating procedures intended to reduce the hazards of
various types of ice buildup inside engines. U.S. and foreign regulators
also have moved toward tightening certification safeguards for newly
designed engines aimed at preventing internal ice formation.
Source: http://online.wsj.com