Metal Weakness in Southwest Jet Tests Limits of Safety Inspections
- NTSB found signs of fatigue in 737 engine that killed woman
- Safety board has called for better tests in previous accidents
FAA Orders Inspection On Jet Engines
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Metal weaknesses like the fatigue found in a jet engine that exploded during a Southwest Airlines Co. flight on Tuesday can lie hidden for years and elude detection with even the most advanced technology.
A crack on a fan blade on the Southwest jet, for example, was on an internal surface that would not have been detectable by a visual inspection, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt said Wednesday. The plane made a successful emergency landing, but a passenger was killed.