SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 14: The nose of a Boeing commercial airliner is seen on March 14, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has suspended operations of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 in Australia following a deadly crash that killed 157 people in Ethiopia on Sunday 10 March. Up until CASA’s decision Fiji Airways was the only airline flying the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in Australia after Singapore’s SilkAir announced it was temporarily ground its six aircraft on Tuesday. Safety concerns about the model of aircraft were first raised in October 2018 after a Lion Air flight in Indonesia crashed, killing all 189 people aboard. Since Sunday’s crash in Ethiopia, Boeing has announced plans to update the aircrafts software. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The top U.S. aviation regulator issued an emergency order requiring operators of the Boeing 737 passenger jet to inspect and potentially replace a key engine component, following four reports of unexpected engine shutdowns.
The FAA's "emergency airworthiness directive" applies to any 737 that has been in storage, which covers any plane that has not been flown in a week. Operators will be required to inspect and potentially replace a certain valve that can get stuck in the open position.
The FAA said it had four recent reports of engines shutting down because of that stuck valve condition.
"Corrosion of these valves on both engines could result in a dual-engine power loss without the ability to restart. This condition, if not addressed, could result in compressor stalls and dual-engine power loss without the ability to restart, which could result in a forced off-airport landing," the directive indicated.
(Read the FAA order below or click here to read in a web browser.)
With thousands of 737s in fleets worldwide, the order could have far-reaching effects on airlines, particularly given how many planes are sitting idle thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
The order also comes as Boeing works to get the 737 Max back into the air; that fleet has been grounded for 16 months following two fatal crashes. CNBC reported Thursday that a key supplier is telling backers to expect sharply lower deliveries of that plane than once forecast.
