The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed plans to convene a review board that would go over safety concerns on Boeing 737 MAX engines after two separate incidents of bird strikes in 2023 sparked concern with the public.
In a statement on Thursday, the agency is addressing the CFM LEAP-1B engine issue through standard continued operational safety process, which includes close collaboration with Boeing, CFM and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
The FAA said it "will convene a Corrective Action Review Board in the coming weeks to examine the data and develop a path forward."
hereafter, it would be assessing the options available, which could prevent the risk of smoke from entering the passenger cabin or the cockpit.
Reuters reported that the FAA, in collaboration with the CFM and the EASA, wants to address concerns about the CFM LEAP-1B engine since the two bird strikes ended up with smoke in the cockpit.
The Seattle Times, where the news about the FAA's plan for review first appeared, reported that the agency is weighing its options on whether it would be issuing instructions to pilots for any change in procedures during takeoff just until Boeing would be able to develop a permanent fix, which may extend any delays in the certification of the MAX7 and MAX 10 models.
The FAA also noted that pilots have already been alerted to the procedure that they would be following in the event that smoke would be entering the plane and noted that such is not an immediate flight-safety issue.
A person, whose identity has not been revealed and was briefed on the matter said that the FAA would need to consider if the change in procedures would make sense to address the issue of getting smoke in the cockpit.
"We are working with the authorities that are investigating these incidents. We continue to follow regulatory processes to properly address potential issues and ensure the continued safety of the global fleet," said a spokesperson from Boeing.
On Thursday, Southwest Airlines said that it has already notified flight crews about the possible effects in case a bird strike would occur. It then "reiterated the importance of following established safety procedures that are part of the company's recurrent pilot training." It also stated that it was working with manufacturers and safety regulators that would identify a permanent solution.
In February, it also published a bulletin in order to make flight crews aware of the potential effects in the cabin in the event of a severe engine damage.
