FAA issues safety alert over Boeing 737 rudders

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a safety alert Tuesday for certain Boeing 737 planes, citing the potential risks of jammed rudder movements.

The agency said a recent event occurred involving a Boeing 737 Max, where the flight crew was unable to move the rudder pedals which control the plane’s direction during landing.

There was no damage to the airplane or injuries to the 155 passengers and six crew members according to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation.

According to data derived from the flight data recorder, the board says the flight crew applied approximately 32 pounds of force to the rudder pedals before touchdown, which yielded no discernible effect on the rudder position or heading.

The NTSB urged Boeing to develop an “appropriate flight crew response” other than just applying maximum pedal force. In addition, the board asked the aircraft manufacturer to notify teams operating 737s that the rudder control system can jam due to moisture that has accumulated inside the actuators and become frozen.

After the board’s investigation, Collins Aerospace — an aerospace manufacturer that supplies Boeing — subsequently determined that a sealed bearing was incorrectly assembled during production, leaving the one side more susceptible to moisture which can freeze and limit rudder system movement. 

Collins notified Boeing that more than 353 actuators delivered by Collins to Boeing since February 2017 were affected by this condition. 

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy wrote a letter to FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker sharing concerns “of the possibility that other airlines are unaware of the presence of these actuators on their 737 airplanes.”

The board recommended that the agency determine if actuators with incorrectly assembled bearings should be removed from airplanes, and if so, to direct U.S. operators to do so until replacements are available.

In response, the FAA said Tuesday it will issue a formal notification to international aviation agencies about the issue.

Boeing, in a statement, said they have notified the necessary parties and will continue to work with regulators on the issue.

 “We continue to work under the oversight of regulators regarding the actuator on an optional autoland system on a subset of 737s. We have reminded operators of the proper actions that flight crews should take if they encounter rudder restriction,” Boeing said in a statement.

“This includes following the checklist for jammed or restricted controls during flight and using various tools to maintain centerline on the ground,” the company added. “We have also shared technical guidance from our supplier.”

The news comes just four days after lawmakers urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate Boeing executives for putting profit over safety. The company has been under intense scrutiny over the last year following an incident in January when a door panel flew off mid-flight during an Alaska Airlines trip.