The Boeing 737 Max manufacturer is advising airlines to check its commercial aircraft for a potential loose bolt in the rudder control system after an international airline found a bolt with a missing nut while doing routine maintenance on one of the aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday.

“The FAA is closely monitoring targeted inspections of Boeing 737 Max airplanes to look for a possible loose bolt in the rudder control system,” according to an FAA press release.

According to the FAA, Boeing also found that a nut in an airplane that had not yet been delivered had not been properly tightened.
As of right now, no harm has been recorded, and Boeing stated that the advice was sent only to be safe.

“The issue identified on the particular airplane has been remedied,” the statement from Boeing said. “Out of an abundance of caution, we are recommending operators inspect their 737 Max airplanes and inform us of any findings. We informed the FAA and our customers and will continue to keep them aware of the progress.”

According to the aircraft maker, the examination, which entails taking off an access panel and visually verifying correct installation, is not very challenging. According to Boeing, the full procedure may take up to two hours for each aircraft.
Boeing went on to say that all of their aircraft are inspected before delivery and that they do not anticipate any “significant impact to our operations”.

In addition, Alaska Airlines stated that the checks started on Thursday and should be finished by the first part of January. As part of standard overnight maintenance, Southwest Airlines is currently inspecting the fleet’s Max aircraft. Additionally, American Airlines stated that their staff will finish the suggested inspections, although they did not provide a timeframe.

aircraft model Boeing 737 Max grounded in 2019

After two tragic incidents in Indonesia and Ethiopia in the course of five months that claimed 346 lives in all, the Boeing 737 Max was grounded in the US in March 2019.

After Boeing made modifications to the aircraft, including to M.C.A.S., the flight control system responsible for the crashes, the FAA gave it the all-clear to take off again in late 2020, according to the New York Times.