Ever since an 18-foot chunk of fuselage ripped off an Aloha Airlines Boeing 737 in mid-flight, aircraft metal fatigue has been a worry in the aviation industry. A flight attendant died and eight passengers were injured in the incident, which occurred in April of 1988.To address the problem of aging aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration says it has issued numerous regulations and 100 airworthiness directives. But on Friday the agency announced a rule to end the ad hoc approach to a critical issue of aviation safety.The final rule to prevent "widespread fatigue damage" requires aircraft makers and airlines to establish the number of takeoff-and-landing cycles or the number of hours a plane can operate without risk of fatigue damage. After the limit is established the rule will prevent airlines from flying the aircraft past that point unless they receive an extension."Safety is our highest priority. This rule provides a comprehensive approach to the problem of widespread fatigue in aging aircraft," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Requiring carriers to regularly inspect their aircraft for possible fatigue is essential to ensuring the highest levels of safety."In June of 2002, three airborne firefighters over California were killed when their plane collapsed due to fatigue cracks in the wing structure. A similar accident killed two firefighters in Colorado the very next month.More recently, two Southwest Airlines Boeing 737s suffered serious fatigue cracks last year. One caused an 18-inch by 12-inch gap in the fuselage that depressurized the airplane and another led to the loss of a wheel-and-brake assembly during landing. There were no serious injuries in either event.
