The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is ‘closely monitoring targeted inspections of Boeing 737 MAX airplanes to look for a possible loose bolt in the rudder control system,’ the agency has confirmed.
After consulting with the FAA, the aircraft manufacturer has issued a Multi-Operator Message (MOM), urging operators of the type to inspect what the FAA defines as ‘specific tie rods that control rudder movement for possible loose hardware’. However, Boeing notes that there have been no in-flight incidents caused by this potential issue, and that pilots’ routine pre-flight checks would alert the crew to any instance of a compromised rudder.
Boeing’s inspection recommendations follow two instances relating to loose or missing hardware in the rudder control mechanism, in particular after an ‘international’ operator discovered a bolt with a missing nut during routine maintenance. Boeing also discovered an additional undelivered aircraft with an inadequately tightened nut, which it says it has now remedied.
The manufacturer is asking airlines to work through their approved Safety Management Systems, adds the FAA, which is also requesting information on how quickly these two-hour inspections can be completed.