WASHINGTON, DC – The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued urgent safety recommendations on Thursday regarding potential issues with the rudder control system on certain Boeing 737 airplanes following an incident involving a United Airlines flight in February.
The incident under investigation by the NTSB involved the rudder pedals on a United Boeing 737 MAX 8 becoming stuck in the neutral position during a landing at Newark with no reported injuries to the 161 passengers and crew onboard.
According to United Airlines, the rudder control components in question were only in use on nine of its 737 aircraft that were originally built for other carriers. United confirmed that all the affected parts had been removed earlier this year.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that it has been closely monitoring the situation and will be convening a corrective action review board following the NTSB’s interim recommendations to determine the next steps to address the issue.
The NTSB’s recommendations include urging Boeing to notify flight crews about the possibility of the rudder control system jamming due to moisture accumulation in the actuators, as well as determining appropriate responses for flight crews in such scenarios.
Collins Aerospace, a unit of RTX, discovered an assembly error in the production of the actuators, affecting over 353 units delivered to Boeing since February 2017. The NTSB recommended that the FAA assess whether these actuators should be removed from planes until replacement units are installed.
Boeing expressed its commitment to reviewing the NTSB recommendations and ensuring that flight crews receive proper guidance regarding the issue. The company previously alerted affected 737 operators about a potential issue with the rudder rollout guidance actuator, part of an optional autoland system, and is collaborating with suppliers to address the concern.
RTX emphasized its collaboration with the NTSB and Boeing to investigate the issue and support efforts to minimize operational impacts. The situation continues to be monitored closely by aviation authorities and industry stakeholders for further developments.
