NTSB: Southwest Jet Had Fatigue Cracking

Meanwhile, airline grounds 79 planes, cancels hundreds of flights
Posted Apr 3, 2011 11:59 AM CDT
NTSB: Southwest Jet Had Fatigue Cracking
NTSB aerospace engineer Chris Babcock carries the flight recorders from Southwest flight 812 that made an emergency landing in Yuma, Ariz., Friday, April 1, 2011.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Fatigue cracking has been found along the entire 5-foot section of a Southwest Airlines jet that ripped open on Friday, forcing an emergency landing in Arizona. The NTSB says that mechanics will cut a 9-foot by 3-foot section of the plane and send it to Washington, DC, for testing. Southwest has responded by grounding at least 79 planes, reports the AP; at least 300 flights were canceled yesterday.

And more cancellations were on the horizon today: "We don't at this time know what the impact will be, but it's possible that it could be in the 300-flight range again," a Southwest spokesman told Reuters. (More Southwest Airlines stories.)

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