FAA will not require immediate 737 MAX engine action after bird strikes

The FAA said on Tuesday it will not require any immediate action after convening a review board to consider concerns about Boeing 737 MAX engines after two bird strike incidents on Southwest Airlines planes in 2023. The FAA Corrective Action Review Board reviewed the CFM LEAP-1B engine bird strikes which led to smoke entering two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The board determined the issue does not warrant immediate action and the FAA will follow its standard regulatory process to address it, the agency said. "The FAA continues to assess how these events could affect other engines with similar structural designs," the agency said, adding it will issue a notice to foreign aviation regulators "about new information Boeing provided to operators of aircraft with LEAP-1B engines." The FAA had been considering recommendations for new takeoff procedures to close the airflow to one or both engines to address the potential impact of a bird strike and prevent smoke from entering the cockpit. The development of a permanent fix could extend delays to certification of Boeing's MAX 7 and MAX 10 models. Reuters reported last week the FAA was considering whether a change in procedures made sense to address the extremely rare incident when pilots have an established procedure to address the issue. Boeing said Tuesday it continues "to follow regulatory processes to properly address potential issues and ensure the continued safety of the global fleet." Southwest said on Tuesday it previously notified flight crews about the effects of certain bird strikes following the two events and "reiterated the importance of following established safety procedures that are part of the company's recurrent pilot training."<br/>