The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended on June 18 that Boeing swiftly modify the engines on its 737 MAX airplanes to prevent smoke from billowing into the cabin or cockpit after a bird strike engages a key safety feature.
Two bird strike incidents involving Southwest Airlines jets in 2023, one in New Orleans and another in Havana, Cuba, brought the issue of equipment malfunction to the board’s attention.
Airlines and pilots have been warned about the issue from both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing, which is working on a solution.
The LEAP engines, made by CFM International for Boeing, can inadvertently eject oil into the 737 MAX’s hot ventilation system after a safety feature known as a load reduction device is engaged following a bird strike or related engine problem. Afterward, the smoke flows directly into either the passenger cabin or cockpit, based on which engine was affected….