16 Jun 2016

NASA's SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) is currently in New Zealand to study the skies of the Southern Hemisphere. During a routine pre-flight visual inspection on Wednesday, June 15, a crack was identified in the thrust casing of one of SOFIA's Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7J engines. The crack was beyond acceptable limits set by the engine manufacturer and was verified by NASA technicians using non-destructive testing techniques. For safety reasons, SOFIA will remain on the ground until the engine is replaced.
Maintenance issues like these are common for operational aircraft. Operators expect and plan for them. SOFIA has changed engines in the past and has spare engines for this type of maintenance issue.

SOFIA will undergo an engine change and is expected to resume flights around June 28. SOFIA maintenance technicians will remove the affected engine and prepare for installation of the new unit. Once the new engine is installed, there will be engine runs to ensure that everything is functioning properly before resuming flights.
While considered a routine activity, this engine change will impact the observatory’s scientific productivity during the deployment. After the engine repair is complete, SOFIA will finish its new schedule of science flights from Christchurch on the originally scheduled end date July 20 and will return to its base of operations at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Palmdale, California, on July 26.