The Nation - News from May 25, 1988

A special inspection of 96 older Boeing 737s has revealed small cracks in one of every nine aircraft but none of a magnitude that they are cause for alarm, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The inspection, which eventually will cover about 212 planes, was prompted by last month’s in-flight breakup of an Aloha Airlines Boeing 737 when a 20-foot section of the plane tore away. Anthony Broderick, the FAA’s associate administrator for aviation standards, said that of 96 planes inspected, 10 were found to have some cracks, the largest of which was one-fourth of an inch. FAA Administrator T. Allan McArtor said that the agency is taking a closer look at the problem of aging aircraft in light of the accident of the 19-year-old Aloha jet. McArtor said airlines may have been lax in inspecting for cracks before the accident.