Written by David Shepherdson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said on Monday that more than 40 foreign operators of Boeing 737s may be using aircraft with rudder components that could pose a safety risk. It was announced that there is.
The NTSB on Thursday issued an emergency safety advisory regarding the possibility of rudder control system failure on some 737s following a February incident involving a United Airlines flight.
The NTSB also said Monday that it learned that two foreign carriers had similar incidents involving rollout guidance actuators in 2019.
In a letter to Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Mike Whitaker, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy wrote, “We are not aware that other airlines are aware that their 737s are equipped with these actuators.” I’m concerned that there may not be.”
The issue is the latest setback for Boeing, which has faced a series of safety problems after an airborne emergency in January when four key bolts were missing on Alaska Airlines’ new 737 MAX 9.
The NTSB is investigating a February crash in which a United Airlines 737 MAX 8’s rudder pedal “stuck” in the neutral position while landing at Newark Airport. None of the 161 passengers and crew were injured.
Boeing stock fell 2.7% on Monday.
The NTSB announced Thursday that there are no longer any U.S. airlines’ 737 aircraft with the affected actuators, which were installed on some 737 MAX and previous generation 737 NG aircraft with optional landing systems.
The NTSB said 271 affected parts may be on board aircraft in service operated by at least 40 foreign airlines, and 16 may still be on U.S.-registered aircraft. He said up to 75 may be used in aftermarket installations.
The NTSB and FAA have not specified which carriers may be using the parts.
Homendy, who spoke with Whitaker about the issue last week, said he was concerned that the FAA “did not take this issue more seriously until it issued an urgent safety advisory report.”
The FAA said it takes the NTSB’s recommendations seriously and plans to conduct additional simulator testing in October.
The FAA’s Corrective Action Review Board will meet on Friday, and the FAA will hold a conference call with affected civil aviation authorities to move quickly to ensure they have the necessary information, including recommended actions. said.
United Airlines said last week that the rudder control part in question was only used on nine of its 737s originally built for other airlines, and that the parts were all removed earlier this year.
story continues
The NTSB on Monday criticized Boeing for failing to notify United that the 737s it received were equipped with actuators that were “mechanically connected to the rudder control system,” saying other airlines have They expressed concern that they were not aware of its existence.
“The flight crew may not know what will happen if the rollout guidance actuator fails at low altitude or during landing,” the NTSB said, calling the failure “unacceptable.”
Boeing declined to comment Monday, but said last week that it notified affected 737 operators in August of a “potential condition in the rudder rollout guidance actuator.”
A spokesperson for Japan’s All Nippon Airways, which operates 39 Boeing 737-NG aircraft, said Tuesday that “as a precautionary measure, we are in the preliminary stages of removing the parts identified by the NTSB,” adding that the airline’s operations will not be affected. he added. . The official said an investigation was underway to determine the number of aircraft affected.
Japan Airlines, which operates a fleet of 62 Boeing 737-800s, said none of its 737s were using the affected parts, a spokeswoman said.
(Reporting by David Shepherdson; Additional reporting by Maki Shiraki in Tokyo; Editing by Jonathan Ortiz, Jamie Freed and Christian Schmollinger)
