Cracks on two planes lead to inspection of 56 American Airlines’ 767s

NEW YORK — American Airlines is inspecting 56 of its Boeing 767 jets after cracks were detected on at least two planes.

American spokesman Tim Wagner said Tuesday the cracks were discovered in the pylons that attach the engines to the wings on one plane during normal maintenance, and that prompted the general inspection of all planes with the same type of part.

American, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas, has 73 Boeing 767s in its fleet of 620 aircraft.

Wagner says 54 planes had been inspected by Monday. The other two were to be inspected Monday night, but Wagner didn’t have confirmation that those inspections had been completed. He said the airline has sent one of the cracked pylons to an outside company for testing.

Wagner said the inspections have not caused any major disruption to American’s schedule. The two planes found to have cracks were repaired overnight and put back into service.

FAA spokesman Les Dorr said the cause of the cracks has not yet been determined. Once the cause is found, Dorr said, “some broader action” by the FAA is possible. That includes inspections of pylons at other airlines.