As a precaution, Boeing is asking airlines to urgently inspect their Boeing 737 Max aircraft due to the risk of loose bolts.
The FAA has stated that it “would monitor closely” targeted inspections. The agency said Thursday that Boeing issued its inspection guidelines to airlines after an international operator found a bolt with a nut missing during routine maintenance. In another case, Boeing also discovered an undelivered plane whose nut was not properly tightened.
“The problem identified on this particular aircraft has been resolved”the Arlington, Va., company told The Associated Press on Friday. “Out of an abundance of caution, we recommend that operators inspect their 737 Max aircraft and notify us of any findings.”
According to Boeing, there have been no in-flight incidents caused by this problem to date, noting that routine crew checks would have already flagged up if the rudder was not functioning properly.
The company added that all planes Boeing is expected to deliver will be subject to an inspection (estimated to last approximately two hours per plane) before delivery.
Boeing’s 737 Max planes have already been grounded worldwide for 20 months after two accidents in 2018 and 2019, which killed a total of 346 people. Investigations focused on an automated flight control system that pushed the plane’s nose down due to erroneous sensor readings. Boeing only informed pilots and airlines about this system after the first crash.
The FAA, which also faced criticism for how it approved the Max jets before these fatal crashes, has since moved to provide a more detailed certification process for large planes and required safety information.
