FAA orders fixes in Boeing 747s: report

(Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has proposed mandatory fixes to Boeing 747-400 airliners to ensure that concerns about potentially hazardous takeoffs are addressed, the Wall Street Journal said.

The U.S. air-safety regulator, last week, moved to require certain engine-related wiring changes to Boeing Co's (BA.N) model, the paper said.

According to the agency, the fixes are necessary to avoid potentially dangerous retraction of flaps, or panels that deploy from the wings to provide extra lift during takeoffs.

FAA said that the retracting flaps during critical early phases of flight could result in reduced climb performance and consequent collision with terrain and obstacles, the paper said.

The regulators directive will cover nearly 100 Boeing 747s flown by U.S. carriers and equipped with engines manufactured by both General Electric Co. (GE.N) and the Pratt & Whitney unit of United Technologies Corp (UTX.N), the business daily said.

A Boeing spokeswoman told the paper that the company issued service bulletins earlier this year urging airlines to voluntarily make the modifications, but only the FAA can mandate U.S. carriers to make such fixes.

FAA and Boeing could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters outside regular U.S. business hours.

(Reporting by Archana Shankar in Bangalore; Editing by Erica Billingham)