'Loose bolt' risk: Boeing alerts several airlines about potential problem with its 737 MAX plane

American aircraft manufacturer Boeing has asked airlines that own its flagship aircraft, the 737 Max, to conduct checks due to the risk of a “loose screw” in the rudder control system, the US Civil Aviation Agency announced on Thursday, December 28. Angolan Armed Forces). The FAA said in a statement, “It is closely monitoring targeted inspections of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft for a possible loose bolt in the rudder control system.”

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After discussions between this agency and the manufacturer, the latter issued a multi-operator message (MOM) so that airlines could carry out checks. A spokesperson for the plane manufacturer said in a statement: “The identified issue in a particular aircraft has been resolved. Out of an abundance of caution, we recommend that operators inspect their 737 MAX aircraft and report their findings to us.” This check consists of opening the access hatch and visually noting whether everything is compatible. This process is expected to take about two hours by plane.

Nut “not tightened properly”

The FAA has also asked airlines to report whether this problem has been observed in the past during maintenance operations. It said Boeing acted after an international operator discovered a missing bolt while performing routine maintenance on the rudder control system mechanism. The aircraft manufacturer then spotted a nut that was “not properly tightened” on an aircraft that had not yet been delivered.

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At approximately 6:40 pm GMT, Boeing shares fell 1.17% on the New York Stock Exchange. The 737 Max was grounded for several months around the world after two air disasters involving the plane in October 2018 and March 2019, killing 346 people. Recently, the aircraft manufacturer was forced to slow down its deliveries due to problems with the fuselage, particularly with the aircraft's rear watertight bulkhead. Boeing has delivered more than 1,370 copies of the 737 MAX, and its order book currently contains more than 4,000 copies.