Jet fan blades face tests after fatal explosion

The US Federal Aviation Administration said it will order the inspection of around 220 aircraft engines as investigators have found that a broken fan blade triggered an engine explosion this week on a Southwest flight, killing 43-year-old passenger Jennifer Riordan.

The order, initially proposed last year following an incident in 2016, demands ultrasonic inspection of the fan blades on all CFM56-7B engines that have accrued a certain number of take-offs.