EVERETT — Federal aviation authorities proposed on Thursday mandatory engine repairs by 2011 for some Boeing Co. 777 jets.
The proposal from the Federal Aviation Authority comes after a Boeing 777-200 Extended Range aircraft, operated by British Airways, crash landed near London in January 2008. In that crash, authorities determined that ice, which accumulated in fuel pipes, eventually restricted fuel from flowing to the engine.
The FAA is taking this step after European aviation officials sought similar action earlier this month. The FAA will take comments on its proposal until Aug. 24.
The FAA’s proposal applies to Rolls-Royce Trent 8000 engines, used on some Boeing 777 jets. Boeing 777 aircraft powered by GE or Pratt &Whitney engines aren’t subject to the FAA directive.
Interim steps already have been taken to avoid incidents like the British Airways Flight 38 crash in which 13 were hurt but no one died.
In other aviation news Thursday:
Engineers at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kan., rejected the company’s labor contract. Ninety-one percent of the members of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace at Spirit voted down the offer.
Boeing also said it had successfully turned on the power on its third and fourth 787 flight test planes. After several delays to the 787, Boeing hasn’t yet set a new first-flight date.
Lastly, Boeing’s rival Airbus said Thursday it still expects to achieve its target for aircraft deliveries this year despite a decision by Russia’s Aeroflot to delay delivery of five Airbus jets.
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