WASHINGTON (AP) — Jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney has a new problem on its hands.
U.S. regulators are requiring immediate inspections and possible repairs to Pratt & Whitney engines on some Airbus passenger jets because of a risk that parts could fail and damage the planes during flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that it acted after further analysis of an engine shutdown last December that required pilots of an Airbus A320neo to abort a takeoff.
The FAA said it will require ultrasonic inspections of the engine parts within 30 days. The rule replaces a directive from October, which told aircraft operators to have the engines checked at their next shop visit.
The new order covers 20 engines on planes registered in the United States and 202 engines worldwide.
Pratt faces another, much bigger problem that will require airlines to remove 1,200 engines from Airbus jets and potentially replace parts that were made with powder metal that became contaminated in the manufacturing process.
Pratt is a division of RTX Corp., which declined to comment.
