The Federal Aviation Administration has rejected warnings of safety experts and pilots and is allowing more than 130 Boeing jetliners whose engines face the risk of icing up in rare conditions to continue flying transcontinental flights through early 2011.
“Two suspect parts in the Rolls-Royce engine used by the Boeing 777 airliners will be replaced in 2011,” says CNN.
Federal regulators say the interim safety measures for the plans were sufficient to prevent mid-air engine shutdowns or emergency descents, says the Wall Street Journal.
Both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Air Line Pilots Association previously urged the FAA to speed up the parts replacement requirement.
But limited availability of parts is obviously a reason for the later deadline.
Ice-related shutdowns are rare.
There were only three reported incidents in recent years.
The interim safety measures require pilots to take various precautions to prevent ice-buildup, which can occur during long cruise periods at high altitudes over polar regions.
By David Wilkening
