Source: AFP
U.S. regulators said Monday they ordered inspections of pilot seats on hundreds of Boeing 787 jets after a March flight in which the plane’s sudden descent injured passengers.
The FAA is requiring inspections after a report of “uncontrolled forward movement of the captain’s seat that caused a rapid descent,” the agency said in a statement.
Carriers are also required to take necessary corrective actions under the airworthiness directive, which affects 158 U.S.-registered 787 Dreamliners and 737 planes worldwide, the FAA said.
The move is in response to a March flight of a New Zealand-bound LATAM Airlines plane that suddenly went down while flying from Sydney to Auckland, injuring about 50 passengers.
Since that incident, the FAA has received reports from Boeing of four additional instances of “uncontrolled horizontal movement” of the captain’s and first officer’s seats, the agency said.
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Three of the incidents were due to “loose” seat switch covers, while the other two incidents are under investigation, the FAA said.
“Unintended and sustained seat motion” can lead to “in-flight disturbance from unintended and abrupt flight control inputs, which could result in a rapid descent of the airplane and serious injury to passengers and crew,” the FAA said.
“The FAA is issuing this airworthiness directive to address the unsafe condition in these products,” the agency added.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Source: AFP
