>> Neil: CAPABLINGEXACTLY WHAT W
THAT ENGINE FIRE ON THE UNITED
AIRLINES FLIGHT?
THE NTSB SAID IT COULD BE A
CLASSIC CASE OF METAL FATIGUE.
BOWING IS GROUNDING 777s, ABOUT
69 ARE STILL FLYING.
ROBERT IS HERE FROM THE NTSB.
THANK YOU, SIR, FOR BEING HERE.
>> NEIL, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
>> Neil: THIS METAL FATIGUE
ISSUE, DO YOU THINK IT COULD BE,
YOU KNOW, A 777 ISSUE IN A
LARGER SENSE?
I KNOW A JAPANESE AIR CARRIER
WAS POINTING TO IT FOR RECENT
PROBLEMS.
HOW WIDESPREAD DO YOU SUSPECT
THIS COULD BE?
>> I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE
777 HAS TWO ENGINE
MANUFACTURERS.
SOME OF THE AIRPLANES HAVE A GE
ENGINE AND SOME HAVE THIS PRATT
AND WHITNEY 4000 SERIES.
THIS PRATT AND WHITNEY 4000
SERIES IS A MINORITY OF THE 777
POPULATION.
>> Neil: SO THE PROBLEM IS
WITH -- IF THERE’S ONE, IT WOULD
BE LIMITED TO THE PRATT AND
WHITNEY ENGINES.
IT’S VERY EARLY AND I APPRECIATE
THAT, BUT WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING
FOR, WHAT KIND OF PATTERN DO YOU
HOPE TO SEE OR AT LEAST TRY TO
ISOLATE?
>> WELL, A BIG FINDING THE
INVESTIGATION SO FAR IS THE
IDENTIFICATION OF THE FRACTURE
AND IDENTIFYING THAT AS METAL
FATIGUE.
AS OF TODAY, WE IDENTIFIED THE
INITIATION POINT WHERE IT
OCCURRED.
SO THAT IS A GOOD START.
MEANWHILE, AS YOU KNOW, THE FAA
HAS ISSUED AN EMERGENCY AIR
WORTHINESS DIRECTIVE TO GROUND
THOSE AIRPLANES WITH THESE
ENGINES UNTIL A DETAILED, VERY
COMPREHENSIVE INSPECTION CAN BE
CARRIED OUT.
THAT ELIMINATES THE IMMEDIATE
THREAT RIGHT NOW.
>> Neil: DID YOU HAVE, ROBERT,
ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN SHARE AND I
UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THAT,
OF ANY PRIOR INCIDENTS, NOTHING
OF THIS MAGNITUDE THAT WOULD
MAKE YOU START CONNECTING DOTS?
>> WELL, THERE HAS BEEN.
IN JUNE, WE COMPLETED AN
INVESTIGATION OF ANOTHER 777
WITH THE SAME ENGINE TYPE.
IT WAS GOING TO HAWAII A FEW
YEARS AGO.
SO WE COMPLETED OUR
INVESTIGATION OF THAT.
IT WAS A SITUATION WHERE A FAN
BLADE FRACTURED AND IN JAPAN,
UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY
HAVE ALREADY RECENTLY COMPLETED
OR THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF
LOOKING AT A SIMILAR EVENT IN
JAPAN THAT HAPPENED IN DECEMBER.
>> Neil: YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS
HAVE TWIN RESPONSIBILITIES.
YOU’RE AWARE OF THAT.
YOUR BIGGEST CONCERN IS OF THOSE
THAT FLY, END OF STORY.
BUT COMES AT A TIME WHEN THE
AIRLINE INDUSTRY IS GETTING
READY FOR THE SPRING TRAVEL
SEASON, HOPING MORE PEOPLE WILL
BE FLYING.
INCIDENTS LIKE THIS GIVE THEM
TREPIDATION, UNDERSTANDABLY.
HOW LONG WOULD AN INVESTIGATION
THIS TAKE TO CONCLUDE?
>> WELL, OUR INVESTIGATIONS ARE
COMPREHENSIVE.
AS A RESULT, THEY DO TAKE TIME.
HOWEVER, IF WE FIND THE NEED TO
ISSUE URGENT SAFETY
RECOMMENDATIONS, AT ANY POINT
DURING OUR INVESTIGATION, WE CAN
CERTAINLY DO THAT.
THE INSPECTIONS THAT ARE BEING
DONE UNDER THE FAA ORDER ARE
VERY TIME CONSUMING.
IT TAKES EIGHT HOURS PER FAN
BLADE.
NOT PER ENGINE.
PER FAN BLADE.
EACH ENGINE HAS 22 FAN BLADES.
THAT IS COMPREHENSIVE.
EACH AIRPLANE HAS TWO ENGINES.
THESE ARE LENGTHY AND DETAILED
EXAMINATIONS BEING DONE AT THE
DEMAND OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION
ADMINISTRATION.
>> Neil: THIS IS A MORE
OPEN-ENDED QUESTION.
THERE’S NO RIGHT ANSWER.
BUT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND
AIRLINES AND PLANE MANUFACTURERS
HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THE SAME
PRESSURES, ECONOMIC PRESSURES.
DO THOSE PRESSURES AND THE COST
OF THOSE PRESSURES, HAVE THEY TO
YOUR KNOWLEDGE EVER COMPROMISED
SAFETY STANDARDS?
>> WE AT THE NTSB HAVE NOT SEEN
ANY LEVEL OF CHANGE OF SAFETY.
NOW, WE REALLY ARE IN THE
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BUSINESS.
FORTUNATELY WE’VE HAD A VERY
GOOD RATE OF ZERO ACCIDENTS.
I THINK OVERALL THERE HAS NOT
BEEN A DIMINISHMENT OF SAFETY.
>> Neil: ALL RIGHT, ROBERT FROM
THE NTSB.
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.