The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Thursday issued “urgent safety recommendations” regarding the rudder systems on some Boeing 737 aircraft, highlighting the risk of entanglement.
It follows a February 6 incident involving a Boeing 737 MAX 8 operated by United Airlines, whose rudder pedals were “stuck” in neutral while on the tarmac after landing at Newark Airport in New Jersey.
None of the 155 passengers and six crew members were injured, the NTSB said, with the captain using the nose landing gear controls to steer the plane.
Boeing is under increasing pressure after a series of safety incidents on its planes. He did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
The cause of the February incident was found to be the guidance actuator, one of the rudder control components, with tests revealing it was susceptible to moisture that could “freeze and limit the movement of the rudder system,” the NTSB said .
The New York area port prepares for possible disruption of the American attack
The faulty actuator was manufactured by US company Collins Aerospace, he added.
“Collins notified Boeing that more than 353 actuators that Collins had delivered to Boeing since February 2017 were affected by this condition,” the NTSB said.
The component is installed on the tail of some Boeing 737 NG and 737 MAX airplanes.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it would convene a remedial action review panel Friday based on the NTSB’s recommendations to determine next steps.
Boeing is under close scrutiny from regulators following an in-flight incident involving an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 aircraft in early January.
That incident saw a door plug come off mid-flight, leaving a hole in the side of the aircraft.
Boeing’s quality control and production processes had already been called into question after the crashes of two 737 MAX jets in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people.
Boeing raises wage offer in bid to end strike
In March, the US aviation giant reshuffled its leadership, with new boss Kelly Ortberg taking over on August 8.
Ortberg headed Rockwell Collins, the company that later became Collins Aerospace, from 2013 to 2018.
Source: AFP