Boeing 737: still problems with poor production quality
Executives running the Boeing 737 Max program face another quality control issue: “ A possible loose bolt in the rudder control system ,” according to a statement released by the Federal Aviation Administration Thursday morning.
“Boeing recommended the inspections after an international operator discovered a missing bolt and nut while performing routine maintenance on a rudder control system mechanism. The company discovered another undelivered aircraft with an improperly tightened nut ,” the FAA said.
These are those small problems which, however, can cause terrible accidents with the risk of loss of numerous human lives.
Boeing has issued a multi-operator message to all airlines using the new single-aisle jets to inspect rudder movement for loose components.
CNBC pointed out that Alaska Airlines has already begun inspecting Max jets. Each inspection lasts about two hours, and the carrier plans to inspect all Max jets by mid-January.
A spokeswoman for United Airlines said the Max jets were being inspected. Both carriers, United Airlines and Alaska Airlines, do not anticipate any operational limitations due to the inspections.
The Max jets have had several problems related to different parts and systems. The most notable defect was the MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System), which led to two separate accidents that killed 346 people. The system had been installed because the new low-consumption engines had a much larger diameter than the previous ones and therefore had changed the flight characteristics of the aircraft. So MCAS was needed to improve the characteristics of the aircraft, but bad training and programming problems turned it into an aviation hazard.
The latest defect, affecting 737 Max 8 planes, was found in August when supplier Spirit improperly drilled holes in the aft pressure bulkhead.
In September, Boeing Chief Financial Officer Brian West said the planemaker was on track to meet the "low end" of its 400-450 jet target for annual 737 deliveries. But in late October, over in an earnings release, the company cut its annual delivery target by 737.
However, some good news for the aircraft is announced by Reuters, which reports that China could resume operating the 737 MAX starting from 2024 after a long period of interruption following the accidents that had marked the life of the plane.
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This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/boieng-737-ancora-problemi-di-scarsa-qualita-della-produzione/ on Fri, 29 Dec 2023 16:35:07 +0000.