FAA inspections of 737 s mandate

Southwest had inspectedNEW: Southwest Airlines found five aircraft with cracksThe Federal Aviation Administration said it plans to mandate inspections of some 175 aircraft 737sAbout will make the purpose of inspectionSituation is not supposed to have no impact on Southwest Tuesday flights

(CNN) - The Federal Aviation Administration provides publish a Tuesday mandating operators of approximately 175 former Boeing 737 s to conduct inspections for wear.

The "emergency directive" just days after a Boeing 737 flown by Southwest Airlines made a landing of emergency with a hole in its fuselage.

The mandate of the FAA would affect approximately 80-the U.S. 737-300, 737 400 s and 737-500 registrants, mainly operated by Southwest. The other 95 aircraft or so are registered outside the United States.

Each aircraft 175 or so in question took off and landed at more than 30 000 times and receive electromagnetic repetitive inspections at regular intervals for fatigue damage.

In a separate statement, Boeing said it worked with the FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Southwest, and he was preparing a service bulletin recommending inspections joined recovery on some 737 models.

Member of the Board NTSB Robert Sumwalt, said Monday that inspectors have verified visually the joints of the knees in the past but have not used high-tech surveillance because nobody thought that a portion of the aircraft was likely to crack. Moving forward, the inspectors will test the joints with an electromagnetic process.

In a statement, the President to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, science and transportation said that the American public wants answers to maintain the confidence of commercial air travel.

As the details of this unusual incident taking place, we will have a better understanding of what caused of fuselage of the aircraft to tear,", said Senator Jay Rockefeller, D - West Virginia.

"I expect the FAA to be laboriously diligent review of the safety of all aircraft and conduct a thorough investigation into what caused the cracks were discovered on the bodies of these aircraft."

After the cancellation of Southwest approximately 600 flights over the weekend to accommodate inspections, the airline said it cancelled another 70 flights Monday.

Whitney Eichinger, a Southwest spokesperson, said that the airline has completed its inspection of its fleet of 79 737-300 on Monday night. Five aircraft showed the subsurface cracks and will need repairs, said.

The situation will not affect the flight of the Southwest Tuesday schedule.

Eichinger said all Southwest aircraft which would be covered by the directive of FAA inspection have been perused.

She could not say how long it will take to repair the five aircraft and service status to. The company is waiting for Boeing recommendations on how to solve the problem.

Eighteen minutes in 812 of flight southwest of Phoenix in Sacramento, California, Friday, a hole of 5 feet long and 1 foot wide open in the fuselage, causing the cabin to lose pressure, the NTSB said.

Flight attendant suffered minor injuries, said the Agency.

The pilot was initially planned to return to Phoenix, but it made an emergency landing at a military base in Yuma, Arizona, after edge indicated he saw a blue sky through the roof of the jetSumwalt told journalists.

Sumwalt, said used 737 flight 812 had a maintenance check in March at the installation of southwestern Dallas and the jet had no problem outstanding maintenance time of the accident, with all its records "positive."day, (and) with no divergence. ?

The aircraft flight data recorders had no information worthy of mention on them, said Sumwalt.CNN Mike Ahlers, Ric Ward, Jeanne Meserve and Marnie Hunter contributed to this report.

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