Loose Bolt Prompts 737 Max Inspections

A BOEING 737 MAX, SEEN FROM BELOW, FLIES THROUGH A BLUE SKY WITH CLOUDS

Photo: iStock.com/the_guitar_mann

Plane maker Boeing is urging airlines to inspect its 737 Max airplanes for a possible loose bolt in rudder control systems, after an international operator discovered a bolt with a missing nut, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

According to BBC News, the FAA said in a December 28 statement that it was "closely monitoring targeted inspections of Boeing 737 Max airplanes to look for a possible loose bolt in the rudder control system".

Boeing has recommended that the checks, which take around two hours, should be made within the next two weeks.

Any problems involving a faulty rudder would likely be identified in a pre-flight check, as crews routinely examine the rudder system before flying, Boeing said.

Boeing's 737 Max was cleared to fly passengers again by U.S. regulators in 2020 having been grounded for 20 months worldwide after two catastrophic accidents killed 346 people in Ethiopia and Indonesia.