The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Thursday that plane maker Boeing is encouraging airlines to inspect new 737 MAX planes because of a possible loose screw in the rudder control system.
The FAA said it is “closely monitoring” inspections targeting the Boeing 737 MAX and will consider further action based on any additional findings of loose or missing equipment.
Boeing recommended inspections after an international airline discovered a missing bolt while performing routine maintenance on a mechanism in the rudder control linkage, the FAA said. Boeing discovered another undelivered plane with an improperly tightened nut, the agency said.
Boeing did not immediately comment.
The FAA said Boeing issued a message asking airlines operating new single-aisle planes to inspect specific parts that control rudder movement for possible loose components.
“The FAA will remain in contact with Boeing and the airlines as the inspections are ongoing,” the agency said, asking the airlines to respond if any loose equipment has previously been detected and to provide details on how quickly these inspections can be executed and completed.
The 737 MAX was grounded for 20 months around the world after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 killed 346 people in Ethiopia and Indonesia. Boeing is still awaiting certification of its smallest model, the 737 MAX 7, and its largest, the MAX 10.
The FAA looked closely at the MAX. In 2021, the FAA said it was tracking all 737 MAX planes using satellite data.
Source: Terra
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