FAA Orders Crack Inspections for 471 Boeing 737 Max Jets
The finalized directive, which takes effect Sept. 10, follows reports of cracks in a reinforcing metal strap on older Next-Generation 737s.
The Federal Aviation Administration this week ordered inspections for hundreds of Boeing 737 Max jets following reports of cracks in some older 737 models.
The finalized rule, unveiled Thursday, takes effect Sept. 10 and applies to certain aircraft under three Max variants: the 737-8, 737-9 and 737-8200. The FAA estimates the directive covers 471 planes, and said it is using the order to address "the unsafe condition" tied to the earlier reports.
No cracks have been found so far in these specific Max models. But when it proposed the rule in November, the FAA said it had received reports of cracks in a forward bear strap on several older "Next-Generation" 737s. Bear straps are metal sheets that reinforce areas of an aircraft such as doorways and emergency exits.
The Max jets have "a similar design and build process" to the older planes, "making those airplanes susceptible to the same crack condition," the agency wrote in November. It warned that the issue could "adversely affect the structural integrity of the airplane" if left unaddressed.
The directive also requires inspections of the fuselage skin on planes that already carry repairs, the FAA said Thursday.
In a statement, Boeing said it had previously identified and reported the issue and "has been working with operators on it over the past six years." The Virginia-based manufacturer said it sent operators inspection instructions for the affected Next-Generation 737s in 2019, and that the FAA mandated those checks in 2021. Boeing said it had already expanded the inspections to Max jets on its own, and that the FAA's latest directive now makes that process mandatory.
"We support both directives and continue to support our airline customers," the company said.
Boeing has spent years contending with safety, quality and production problems. Two crashes involving the larger Max 8 killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, and in 2024 a panel blew off a Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines in midflight.
Last month, the FAA said Boeing would again be allowed to take responsibility for certifying all of its 737 Max and 787 planes.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.