A United Boeing 737 rotating out of Washington Dulles. [Photo: AirlineGeeks | Peter Weiland]
Key Takeaways:
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued urgent safety recommendations to Boeing regarding a potential rudder jamming issue on some 737 aircraft, following an incident where a United Airlines 737's rudder pedals became stuck during landing.
Investigations revealed the issue stems from a rollout guidance actuator, manufactured by Collins Aerospace, which was incorrectly assembled, allowing moisture to freeze and compromise rudder movement in cold conditions.
The NTSB expressed concern that existing pilot procedures (applying maximum force) could lead to loss of control and urged Boeing to develop alternative flight crew responses and notify operators.
The NTSB also recommended the FAA determine if affected actuators should be removed from aircraft, a recommendation the FAA has accepted and plans to act upon.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) made urgent safety recommendations to Boeing on Thursday, citing discovery of a potential issue involving the rudder of some 737 aircraft.
According to an NTSB statement, the FAA has also been made aware of the potential for the rudder to jam or become unresponsive because of the failure of a rollout guidance actuator.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
