Southwest: Other carriers finding cracked fan blades
DALLAS—A small number of fan blades with cracks like those blamed for a fatal accident on Southwest Airlines have been found at other airlines, and the engine maker is considering recommending more frequent inspections.
A spokesman for General Electric, one of two companies that owns the engine manufacturer, said Friday that "a handful" of problematic fan blades have been removed during stepped-up inspections that followed the Southwest accident in April.
Southwest's chief operating officer, Mike Van de Ven, said he knows of "maybe four or five" reports of cracked fan blades at other carriers. Neither Van de Ven nor GE identified the airlines.
A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board declined to comment on the statements by Southwest and GE.
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