en.Wedoany.com Reported - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to mandate the latest inspection procedures for CFM56-7B engine fan blades, with the new inspection method covering more areas and requiring higher inspection frequency. An airworthiness directive draft to be published on July 31 states that the proposed changes are based on the latest version of an inspection program CFM has implemented since 2018. CFM released a revised engine shop manual on July 15 and updated the related service bulletin on July 28, and the FAA's mandate is based on these technical documents.

In April 2018, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 experienced an in-flight engine failure, when fatigue cracks caused a fan blade to fracture, resulting in one passenger fatality. CFM developed the inspection program following that incident, introduced it via a service bulletin in April of that year, and has revised it multiple times based on inspection experience, with the latest update being the fifth revision.

CFM stated: "The FAA's notice of proposed rulemaking aligns with CFM's existing recommendations to operators and reflects our proactive approach to safety management."

The release of the new inspection requirements comes on the heels of an in-flight failure of a CFM56-7B engine on a Malta Air 737-800 on July 10. Investigators have not yet released details of the incident, in which a passenger window was shattered. Unverified images circulating online show a fractured fan blade on the aircraft's right engine. While Malta Air's investigation could ultimately link the event to the 2018 Southwest Airlines fan blade incident and a similar event in 2016, no such connection had been established as of the draft directive's release. The FAA explicitly states in the draft that "no factual information has been received indicating that the (Malta Air) event is related to the unsafe condition addressed by this proposed AD."

According to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Aviation Week, CFM's latest inspection update was already underway before the Malta Air incident and was originally scheduled for release in the third quarter of 2026. Greek officials have designated the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board to lead the Malta Air investigation, which has not yet released any technical details.