Southwest plane accident engine maker issuing new inspection guidelines

The General Electric-Safran joint venture that made the plane engine that exploded during a fatal accident on a Southwest Airlines flight will issue new inspection guidelines for carriers that use the engines, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The new guidelines, which apply to the inspection and maintenance of fan blades on the CFM56-7B engines used on Boeing planes including Southwest’s ill-fated 737-700, were developed before this week’s accident. The adjusted parameters supersede existing guidelines on fan blade maintenance.

Jennifer Riordan, a Wells Fargo communications executive and mother of two children, was killed when one of the Southwest plane’s engines blew apart, forcing an emergency landing. Both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating.

CFM, the maker of the engine, operates as a joint venture between General Electric and France-based Safran Aircraft Engines. GE also performs maintenance work on Southwest’s fleet of more than 700 Boeing 737 planes.

Southwest is performing inspections on all of its planes within the next 30 days in the accident’s aftermath, the Journal reported.

“CFM has about 40 people supporting the fan blade inspections under way at Southwest,” a GE spokesman told the Wall Street Journal.

General Electric did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment on the guidelines.

FOX Business reported earlier this week that CFM had dispatched a team of technical advisers to assist the NTSB in its investigation.