The Federal Aviation Administration issued a new airworthiness directive this week requiring inspections of hundreds of Boeing 737 Max aircraft after cracks turned up in a structural component on older-generation 737 jets. The directive, issued August 6, covers 737 Max 8, Max 9, and 737-8200 models and affects 471 aircraft registered in the United States, with 1,429 planes worldwide falling under the requirement.
Investigators traced the cracking to a part known as the bear strap, which reinforces the fuselage around the forward service door near the front galley. Repeated stress from takeoffs and landings can cause the metal to crack near door corners over time. The FAA said no cracks have yet turned up on Max family jets specifically, but ordered the inspections as a precaution to catch any developing cracks before they threaten the fuselage's ability to handle normal flight loads.
Boeing said it first flagged the issue to operators of its 737 Next Generation fleet in 2019 and extended the inspection program to Max aircraft in 2024, citing similarities in design and manufacturing between the two families. The company said it is still working to determine the root cause of the cracking and how to prevent it on future aircraft.
Southwest Airlines, one of the largest operators of 737 aircraft in the country, said it is reviewing the directive and will complete the required inspections on the schedule the FAA sets. United Airlines said it does not expect the requirement to disrupt its operations, noting its Max fleet has not yet accumulated enough flight cycles to trigger near-term inspections.
Source: CBS News - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/faa-inspections-boeing-737-max-jets-cracks-found-some-older-planes/