Originally Posted by
WearyEyed
The company is absolutely planning to return the MD-11 to service by May 31st and has communicated that to employees, investors, and media. Unfortunately it’s not entirely up to our management when or if the planes return. Boeing and the FAA have to agree on a maintenance procedure for safely returning the planes to service. If a new part has to be designed, certified, and manufactured then FedEx may change their mind. Or if it’s communicated to management by either Boeing or the FAA that the maintenance action could take a year to get approved, then FedEx might change their mind. It would be wise for Fedex to plan for retiring the planes while also planning for their return to service.
The replacement part was actually designed, certified, and manufactured years ago. It should be available on the shelf, although not necessarily in the quantity needed now. It was made available and recommended, but not mandated... that's about to change.
If they need to make more of them, it's a very simple part in the grand scheme, not unobtanium alloy or complex shapes or processes.
My guess is the procedure will be drop the engine and if the existing bearings are intact with normal wear, just replace them with the new version. If the bearings have unusual wear or have fractured then I'd guess they'll need to remove and NDT or replace the lugs as well, since the catastrophic failure was induced in the lugs by the fractured bearing. The lugs aren't very hard to remove or mfg either.