European agency orders expanded Boeing 737 engine checks after accidents

Reuters
A U.S. NTSB investigator is on scene examining damage to the engine of the Southwest Airlines plane in this image released from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., April 17, 2018. NTSB/Handout via REUTERS

PARIS (Reuters) - The European Aviation Safety Agency on Friday ordered emergency checks on some Boeing 737 jet engines, followed by regular inspections, in response to two Southwest Airlines engine blowouts including a deadly accident earlier this week. The order expands a previous European directive, issued in response to the 2016 incident, and was issued in coordination with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, making mandatory a fresh recommendation from engine maker CFM International. CFM is jointly owned by General Electric and France's Safran. (Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)