The Boeing 737 MAX is on display at the Farnborough International Airshow, in Farnborough, Britain, July 20, 2022.
Peter Chibura | Reuters
Boeing is urging airlines to inspect its 737 Max planes for a “possible loose bolt” in the rudder control system, the latest quality issue to affect the manufacturer's best-selling jet.
The manufacturer recommended the inspections after an international operator “discovered a bolt with a missing nut while performing routine maintenance on a mechanism in the rudder control linkage,” according to an FAA statement. “The company discovered an additional aircraft that had not been delivered with a nut that had not been tightened properly.”
Boeing said inspections will take about two hours per aircraft, and all new 737 MAX aircraft will undergo inspection before being delivered to customers.
“The identified issue with the identified aircraft has been remedied,” Boeing said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, we recommend that operators inspect their 737 MAX aircraft and report any findings to us.
Alaska Airlines plans to begin inspections Thursday. The company expects to complete it in the first half of January, a company spokeswoman said. “We do not expect any practical impact as a result of this,” she said.
A spokeswoman for United Airlines, one of the largest 737 MAX customers, said the company does not anticipate any impact on its operations as a result of the issue.
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