After discovering a loose bolt on the rudder system of one of its 737 Max planes, Boeing is asking airlines to inspect their aircraft.
After a routine maintenance check discovered the bolt had a missing nut on the rudder, the plane manufacturer informed the Federal Aviation Administration and began an investigation. According to the agency, the probe includes visually validating all the nuts and bolts on the rudder system of each 737, a two-hour process.
The rudder system on the 737 helps keep the aircraft level while flying.
The FAA said it will consider further action after its investigation.
Boeing said 1,370 of its 737 Max planes are in service around the world.
The 737 Max has had issues for years. After two of the planes crashed in 2018-19, killing 346 aboard, the fleet was grounded. While it returned to service in 2020, Boeing has had other technical problems.
In 2021 the company’s 787 Dreamliner was cited by the FAA for problems with the jet’s fuselage.
And this past October the 737 Max was flagged when one of Boeing’s suppliers used a nonstandard manufacturing process that also affected the fuselage.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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