Accident Board Recommendations - continued

Due to the prompt and effective actions taken by the FAA, GEAE, McDonnell Douglas, and airlines flying the DC-10, no recommendations regarding engine installation were necessary.

Immediately following the accident, the FAA issued a telegraphic Airworthiness Directive (AD) that applied to all DC-10 aircraft. The AD required inspection of the engine nose cowl mounting integrity and correction of any possible deficiencies. Also, it was recognized early that fan-tip rub was a necessary condition in the sequence of events that brought about the loss of the fan blades.

As a preventive measure against the recurrence of this type of condition, the fan blade tip-to-shroud clearances were increased. As backup for the possibility of blade-tip rub even after the tip clearance was modified, an extensive development, testing, and production program was established to increase the capabilities of the blade retention devices.

The blade retention devices were redesigned with increased capability of more than 3 times the original configuration. These modified blade retention devices were incorporated in all revenue service engines.

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