US aviation watchdog orders inspections for cracks on some Boeing 737 NG planes
The US Federal Aviation Administration said that it would require operators of some Boeing 737 NG jetliners to conduct inspections for structural cracks and make repairs following the discovery of cracks on a small number of planes.
The FAA said that Boeing notified it of the issue “after it discovered the cracks while conducting modifications on a heavily used aircraft.” Subsequent inspections “uncovered similar cracks in a small number of additional planes.” Boeing said that it has been in contact with 737 NG operators about a cracking issue, but added that “no in-service issues have been reported.” Neither the FAA nor Boeing immediately said how many planes were impacted by the required inspections.
The 737 NG, or Next Generation, was introduced in 1997 and is the third generation version of the best-selling Boeing airplane. The 737 MAX, which was grounded in March after two fatal crashes in five months, is not affected by this issue, Boeing said. The FAA said that it would ask operators of the NG to “report their findings to the agency immediately” after completing inspections.
Boeing said “over the coming days, we will work closely with our customers to implement a recommended inspection plan for certain airplanes in the fleet.”
KOMO News reported on Friday the issue involved cracked “pickle forks” in some 737 NG jets.
The pickle fork attaches the plane’s fuselage, or body, to the wing structure and manages forces. A failure of the part in flight could pose a serious risk.
KOMO said that workers found a severely cracked pickle fork on a Boeing 737NG earlier this month.