U.S. airlines must inspect more than 100 Boeing 767 airliners more frequently than before to look for cracks that could force the engines to fall off, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered Wednesday.

The cracks can occur in the pylons that attach engines to wings. The issue came into view last month when American Airlines discovered cracks in at least two 767s during regular maintenance.

138 registered planes are affected by the FAA safety order in the United States. That’s out of a fleet of about 314 planes. Aviation officials in other countries normally follow the FAA’s lead on safety of U.S.-manufactured planes.

The order only applies to 767s with the original pylon design. Boeing altered the design after the issue first came into light.

A safety order was issued by the FAA for the same planes in 2005 mandating inspections for cracks every 1,500 flights. The new order speeds up that schedule to every 400 flights or every 90 days, whichever is later.

Source:Associated Press