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Airlines, Regulators Weigh More Cockpit Safety Alerts After Close Calls on Runways

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Published: Wednesday, 25 October 2023 15:23

Regulators refocus on alerts that are often unused or still under development, as pilots try to avoid close calls

An Airbus system warns pilots with a screen alert that a runway is too short. PHOTO: AIRBUS
Technology to alert pilots of potential runway crashes is widely available. Audible warnings and text alerts to help avert catastrophe on the tarmac are often standard features on new aircraft.

In many cases those features aren’t turned on.

Regulators have been reluctant to require their use. Some pilot groups have pushed for airlines to adopt such features, but carriers have had doubts about their safety benefits and costs.

“There are solutions right now,” Capt. Steve Jangelis, a top union official in the Air Line Pilots Association, said at a runway-safety forum earlier this year.

The U.S. hasn’t had a major fatal passenger airline crash in 14 years, but runway-safety alerts for pilots are getting renewed attention after a spate of serious close calls at American airports. Industry officials have debated whether inexperienced or fatigued pilots are a factor, or distraction among short-staffed air-traffic controllers.

U.S. air-safety and some industry officials are weighing whether to add more cockpit protections as pilot and air-traffic controller workforces navigate a surge in postpandemic flying, while airlines ramp up reminders to pilots about existing procedures.

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Boeing Cuts 737 Delivery Goal for Year

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Published: Wednesday, 25 October 2023 15:21

Aircraft maker posts quarterly loss on production troubles

Boeing employees assemble 787s inside the main assembly building on the campus in North Charleston, S.C. PHOTO: POOL/REUTERS
Boeing BA -0.45%decrease; red down pointing triangle booked a third-quarter loss and lowered delivery goals this year for its 737 MAX jet, which accounts for the bulk of the plane maker’s output.

Boeing lost $1.64 billion in the quarter ended Sept. 30, more than analysts expected, and it reported negative cash flow from its operations. But the company met expectations for sales, and executives kept their full-year and medium-term financial guidance unchanged.

MAX production has been running at about half the company’s target while Boeing and one of its largest suppliers race to fix misdrilled holes on the jet’s fuselage.

“When we set our recovery plans, we knew issues would come up along the way,” Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun wrote in a message to employees. He said improved quality procedures and a culture that rewards speaking up about problems means the company is finding more things in need of repair.

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Airbus Hits New Supply-Chain Hurdle in Race With Boeing

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Published: Monday, 16 October 2023 17:33

Engine maker Pratt to recall 1,200 engines over 12 months just as Airbus is trying to cement its supremacy in narrow-body jets

LONDON—Airbus faces another high hurdle in delivering its bestselling jets as it races to solidify a commanding lead over rival Boeing BA -2.01%decrease; red down pointing triangle.

Airbus has been working to rapidly increase output of its bestselling A320 family of aircraft as it seeks to deliver on a backlog that now stretches out into the early 2030s. Many of those planes are powered by a certain type of Pratt & Whitney engine, which the engine maker said earlier this week will need to be recalled and inspected.

Pratt said it would need to inspect 1,200 of its geared-turbofan engines after it discovered a fault in the metal that could lead to cracking. Both Pratt and Airbus have said the issue doesn’t impact the safety of the aircraft.

The recall could further slow Airbus’s plans for higher production rates of the jet. With the affected engines being taken out of service, Pratt will need to hold on to more of its new engines for a spare-engine pool.

It keeps those reserves for planes needing engine maintenance. That in turn means it can provide fewer engines needed by Airbus for new aircraft deliveries.

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Pratt & Whitney Engines on Hundreds of Airbus Jets Recalled for Inspection

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Published: Monday, 09 October 2023 17:33

RTX says engines are affected by contaminated metal parts that could crack over time

The fuel-efficient Geared Turbofan engine has had reliability problems since it was introduced in 2015. Hundreds of Airbus jetliners will require inspections after a new problem with their Pratt & Whitney engines, adding another potential airline disruption in coming months.

Pratt parent said recently discovered contamination in the metal used to make some engine parts required the planes to be inspected to check on whether repairs were required.

The contamination could cause cracks to form in critical engine parts. The new problem exacerbates the shortage of new, fuel-efficient engines that has sidelined dozens of Airbus and Boeing jetliners worldwide after parts wore out faster than expected.

The recall isn’t expected to have an immediate impact on travel because only a fraction of the engine fleet that has flown the most will be inspected over the next six weeks.

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