Boeing Urges Inspections of 737 Max for Possible Loose Bolts
FAA Monitoring Inspections, Will Consider Further Action if Additional Instances of Loose or Missing Hardware Discovered
- Boeing has urged airlines to inspect all 737 Max airplanes for a possible loose bolt in the rudder-control system after an international airline discovered a bolt with a missing nut during routine maintenance.
- Boeing discovered that an undelivered 737 Max also had a nut that was not properly tightened.
- The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is closely monitoring the inspections and will consider further action if additional instances of loose or missing hardware are discovered.
- Several major American air travel companies, including United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, use the 737 Max.
- The 737 Max has a deeply troubled history, with two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 leading to a 20-month grounding of the plane.