FAA orders inspection of primary flight display instruments in some Boeing 717s Knight Ridder News Service

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Aviation Administration ordered immediate inspections Saturday of 14 Boeing 717-200 airliners to check for potential electrical problems in altitude indicators and make necessary modifications.

The order follows reports of two instances of intermittent loss of information on the captain and first officer's primary flight display and integrated standby instrument system display, the agency said.

In both cases, airspeed and altitude indicators remained operational and the flights were completed without incident, it said.

The planes affected by the order are operated by Trans World Airlines and Air Tran. Olympia Airlines, a Greek carrier, also operates two 717-200s, which first entered service last year.

Before the affected planes can fly again, the FAA said, electrical cables must be coiled and stowed between the glareshield and the standby display to further isolate the display from other instruments and revise operational procedures.

The agency estimated the work would take two hours to complete at a cost of $120 per plane.

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-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), April 03, 2000