Boeing has halted flight testing of its new 737 MAX passenger jet following a potential quality issue with the engine's turbine sect...
Boeing has halted flight testing of its new 737 MAX passenger jet following a potential quality issue with the engine's turbine section.
The 737 MAX is exclusively powered by the CFM LEAP-1B turbofan engines rated with a maximum thrust of 28,000 pound each.
Engine maker CFM informed Boeing of a potential quality issue with the five stage Low Pressure Turbines (LPT), which are manufactured by CFM joint venture partner French Safran Aircraft Engines.
The four aircraft Boeing 737 MAX flight test fleet and more than 15 production aircraft destined for customer delivery will now undergo thorough inspection before being cleared for flights.
The engine had achieved U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European EASA certification in May 2016. The 737 MAX was certified for commercial operation in March 2017, after flying more than 2,200 flight hours with the engine.
Boeing says it had not detected any issue with the engines during flight testing that commenced in January 2016.
Despite the issue, Boeing says it is scheduled to deliver the first aircraft to Malaysian Malindo Air, a subsidiary of Lion Air. later this month.
This advanced engine delivers the majority of a 20% improvement in fuel efficiency for the 737 MAX as compared to the original 737 Next Generation.
