United Airlines Emergency Landing in Indianapolis

Although the National Transportation Safety Board issued recommendations on General Electric GEnx engines, which power the latest generation of Boeing aircraft, on September 18, Air India has flown from Charleston to Frankfort to India with its second Dreamliner.

(See the letter here)

Air India ordered 27 787s six years ago and has only taken possession of two, due to Dreamliners long process from concept to reality. Most recently, at the end of July, a 787 failed during a pre-flight taxi test at Charleston International Airport when the engine’s fan midshaft fractured, then shifted backwards, breaking both turbine blades.

GE’s solution “introduced changes in the production process that address environmentally assisted cracking, including changes to the dry-film coating applied to the mid-shaft, as well as changes to the coating lubricant used when the retaining nut is clamped to the mid-shaft.”