FAA orders inspections of 737s after four non-fatal engine shutdowns

Enlarge / Southwest has dozens of 737s in storage. The airline says it hasn't experienced the glitch described in the FAA directive. (credit: Dylan Ashe)

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered airlines to inspect the engines of their 737 airplanes after four reports of "single-engine shutdowns."

Many 737 aircraft have been sitting in hangars for weeks as the coronavirus pandemic suppressed demand for air travel. As airlines have resumed operations, they've discovered that a key valve has a tendency to get stuck after weeks without being used. The FAA estimates that around 2,000 aircraft could be affected.

"If this valve opens normally at takeoff power, it may become stuck in the open position during flight and fail to close when power is reduced at the top of descent," the FAA's directive warns. That could result in "an unrecoverable compressor stall and the inability to restart the engine."

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