US Warns Foreign Operators May Be Using Boeing 737s with Suspect Rudder Control Parts, Reuters Reports

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON – The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced on Monday that over 40 foreign operators of Boeing 737 aircraft may be using planes with rudder components that potentially pose safety risks.

In light of a February incident involving a United Airlines flight, the NTSB issued urgent safety recommendations on Thursday regarding the risk of a jammed rudder control system on certain 737 models. Furthermore, the NTSB revealed that two foreign operators experienced similar incidents in 2019 involving rollout guidance actuators.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy expressed concern that other airlines might be unaware of the presence of these actuators on their 737 aircraft in a letter addressed to FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker.

This situation represents another challenge for Boeing, which has recently been scrutinized over a mid-air emergency in January involving an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 that was missing four essential bolts.

The NTSB is investigating an incident from February where the rudder pedals on a United 737 MAX 8 were stuck in the neutral position during landing at Newark. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the 161 passengers and crew on board.

Boeing’s stock dropped by 2.7% on Monday.

The NTSB stated that there are currently no 737s operated by U.S. airlines that have the affected actuators, which were installed on some 737 MAX and earlier-generation 737 NG planes equipped with an optional landing system.

The NTSB noted that 271 affected parts might still be installed on aircraft operated by at least 40 foreign airlines, with some remaining on U.S.-registered planes and up to 75 potentially used in aftermarket installations. However, the NTSB and FAA did not disclose which carriers might be using these parts.

Homendy, who spoke with Whitaker about the issue last week, expressed concern that the FAA did not take the matter seriously until the urgent safety recommendation report was issued.

The FAA responded, indicating it is treating the NTSB’s recommendations with seriousness and plans to conduct additional simulator testing in October. It held a meeting of its corrective action review board last Friday and aims to promptly connect with affected civil aviation authorities to ensure they have the necessary information and recommended actions.

United Airlines reported last week that the rudder control parts at issue were only in nine of its 737 aircraft, which were originally built for other carriers, and that all components had been removed earlier this year.

On Monday, the NTSB criticized Boeing for not informing United about the 737s it received being equipped with actuators connected to the rudder control system. The NTSB also expressed concerns that other airlines might be unaware of these actuators’ presence.

The NTSB commented, "Flight crews may not know what to expect if the rollout guidance actuator fails at low altitude or during landing," deeming such failures "unacceptable."

While Boeing declined to comment on Monday, the company stated last week that it had informed affected 737 operators about a potential issue with the rudder rollout guidance actuator back in August.

In a statement on Tuesday, a representative for All Nippon Airways, which operates 39 Boeing 737-NG planes, mentioned that the airline is in the preliminary stages of removing the identified parts as a precaution but noted that there are no operational impacts. They are currently assessing how many of their planes are affected.

Japan Airlines, operating 62 Boeing 737-800 aircraft, confirmed that none of its planes utilize the impacted parts.