American Airlines and six other U.S. carriers have been ordered to inspect newer Boeing Co. 737s for possible loose parts following a fire that destroyed a China Airlines plane last week.
The airlines have 24 days to check a portion of the 737 wings for loose or missing parts, said Les Dorr, a spokesman for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. The requirement issued by the FAA covers 783 Boeing 737s operated by U.S. carriers, he said.
A loose wing-slat bolt that punctured the fuel tank was the likely cause of the Aug. 20 fire on a China Airlines Boeing 737-800, trade publication Air Transport World reported last week, citing Japanese safety investigators. All 165 passengers and crew members escaped before the fire, which began after the plane landed in Okinawa.
"That was one of the things that prompted us to do this," Dorr said in an interview. "We and Boeing are still assessing the situation."
The FAA has received reports of at least two incidents where fuel leaks resulted when parts came loose on slats, which slide out from each wing's front edge during takeoffs and landings, Dorr said.
The airlines have 24 days to check a portion of the 737 wings for loose or missing parts, said Les Dorr, a spokesman for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. The requirement issued by the FAA covers 783 Boeing 737s operated by U.S. carriers, he said.
A loose wing-slat bolt that punctured the fuel tank was the likely cause of the Aug. 20 fire on a China Airlines Boeing 737-800, trade publication Air Transport World reported last week, citing Japanese safety investigators. All 165 passengers and crew members escaped before the fire, which began after the plane landed in Okinawa.
"That was one of the things that prompted us to do this," Dorr said in an interview. "We and Boeing are still assessing the situation."
The FAA has received reports of at least two incidents where fuel leaks resulted when parts came loose on slats, which slide out from each wing's front edge during takeoffs and landings, Dorr said.
