An aircraft of the affected Boeing model.
Image: AFP
After part of the cabin wall fell out during an Alaska Airlines flight, US authorities are now requiring inspections for Boeing aircraft. It's about operational safety.
DThe US aviation authority FAA is tightening its grip on aircraft manufacturer Boeing after the near-catastrophe. The regulator now officially requires that Boeing 737 MAX aircraft be checked for loose screws in the rudder control systems. The FAA said Thursday that all U.S. airlines completed inspections in early January and found no missing or loose rudder bolts. The inspection requirement now issued meets the USA's international obligations to maintain operational safety. In December, Boeing recommended inspections because of possible loose screws.
At the beginning of January, part of the cabin wall, behind which the emergency exit is located, fell out of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft shortly after take-off from Portland at an altitude of almost five kilometers. That has become a new crisis for Boeing as its Airbus rival was in the midst of recovering from two fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 and the coronavirus crisis that followed.
According to initial findings by US accident investigators, four important bolts were apparently missing from the torn out fuselage part of a Boeing 737-9 Max.
#Boeing #authorities #require #inspections #MAX #model
