A United Boeing 737 rotating out of Washington Dulles. [Photo: AirlineGeeks | Peter Weiland]
Key Takeaways:
The NTSB issued urgent safety recommendations to Boeing regarding a potential issue where the rudder of some 737 aircraft could jam or become unresponsive due to freezing moisture.
The problem stems from incorrectly assembled sealed bearings in rollout guidance actuators (made by Collins Aerospace), allowing moisture to accumulate and freeze, compromising rudder function; over 353 such actuators are affected.
The NTSB recommends Boeing develop alternative flight crew responses to jammed rudders (beyond applying maximum force, which could cause loss of control) and notify crews, while also urging the FAA to consider removing affected actuators and notify international regulators.
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.
