Southwest Airlines Emergency Landing at PHL

Sometimes as the captain, it's easier to just tell ATC what you want rather than to tell the FO, who then tells ATC. So it's not that surprising that she would have been both flying and talking on the radio.. The FO would have been running checklists and working the system problems-- and in many ways would have been the busier person in that cockpit.

 

CFM issues service order to all CFM engines (2500+) to do ultrasonic tests on each fan blade. The procedure should take 4 hours and the aircraft does not need to be wheeled into a special hanger. The deadline for this procedure should end by the end of August.

 

My friend that is a senior captain for SWA (started with them in early 90s and is retiring this year) told me this AM that normal procedure is captain to give plane to the FO so the captain can focus on troubleshooting and communicate plans and then take the plane back for approach and landing. She could have done differently this time, but since they work for same airline and undergo training I would think they stuck to that normal procedure...

 

I brought it up and to me the big issue is federal oversight to ensure quality of work. Of course crap work can happen anywhere (I see it personally at work when I rotate through the VA hospital here). And I know great work is also done in other countries. My concern is how difficult it is for the FAA (a US federal organization) to give proper oversight to ensure quality work is consistently being done there. It's already hard enough as it is to maintain oversight in the US, but extending outside I think may make it more difficult to keep checks in place. That is my issue. I couldn't care less about anything else.

 

Here is some accurate information reguarding SWA engine mantinance from CEO Gary Kelly...

 

SW cancelling 50 flights on Sunday and 90 today all due to ultrasonic engine inspections on each fan blade.

 

Apparently the order applies to older engines only, so it won't affect the 737 MAX's and probably most, if not all, of Delta's -800s and -900s. But what about equivalent Airbuses?

 

The Max has a completely different engine (Leap 1B) and the N1 fan blades are carbon fiber with a titanium edge. -7/-8/-9s at every carrier will be affected at some point in my opinion.

 

Katheryns Report does a good job on what happened as well as of keeping you posted.

http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2018/04/southwest-airlines-boeing-737-700_17.html

 

Here's the conversation: