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Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max aircraft: 1,400 aircraft inspected
Photo: MARIO TAMA/ AFP
A missing nut on the tail rudder of a Boeing 737 Max alarmed the aircraft manufacturer and authorities in December - but the problem turned out to be an isolated case. Since the end of last year, more than 1,400 machines in global operations have been inspected - and found to be in order, Boeing announced on Thursday. Only an inspection is still pending.
The US Federal Aviation Administration officially ordered inspections on the fastening part of 737 Max aircraft on Thursday. However, the Boeing announcement shows that this was ultimately a formal step. Machines that have already been tested do not need to be examined again. According to the FAA, Boeing also found an inadequately tightened nut on an aircraft on its production lines. The agency emphasized that the absence of the mother could affect the aircraft's functionality under certain circumstances.
Quality controls and fasteners have been a big issue at Boeing since a nearly new 737-9 Max tore out a fuselage section in flight in early January. The more than 170 people on board escaped with horror. By a lucky coincidence, the two seats directly next to the hole in the cabin wall remained empty. The US investigative agency NTSB came to the conclusion this week that four fastening bolts were missing from the fuselage fragment.
mik/dpa AFX