Photographer: Simon Dawson / Bloomberg
Photographer: Simon Dawson / Bloomberg
Boeing Co. found potential faults in two additional parts of the 737 Max’s cabin, a week after a similar manufacturing error came to a temporary halt for recently delivered aircraft, people familiar with the matter said.
The planner examined the Max’s flight deck for other electrical faults near the fault announced last week with the aircraft’s assistance power control unit and plans plans for repairs. The maintenance is not expected to be time consuming or complicated, and it only requires basic hardware such as nuts and bolts, according to a Max customer informed by Boeing.
Still, the discovery of new problems contributes to the embarrassment for Boeing, which is trying to bring about a smooth return for the Max after a 20-month-long grounding forced by two fatal crashes. The electrical issue potentially affects about 450 Max aircraft manufactured since early 2019, including about 90 aircraft operated by airlines, and the rest are still awaiting delivery.
The work will take a few days for each aircraft once Boeing and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration have an action plan, one of the people said they should not be identified as the matter is confidential.
Boeing said it was working with customers on service bulletins that would be submitted to the FAA for approval. The bulletins focus on ensuring an adequate dirt road in the aircraft of the aircraft affected. ”
Shares fell 1.2% to $ 248.18 with the close in New York.
The FAA has not yet ordered any repairs, while Boeing continues to assess the situation. “The FAA will thoroughly review the proposed correction that Boeing is submitting to us,” the agency said in an email.
Aviation Week previously reported that the defects were traced back to a manufacturing change made in early 2019, with fasteners and a coating.
In some cases, the coating such as paint can affect the electrical grounding path, causing a unit that controls the backup power for the aircraft to function, the people said.
The manufacturing change that led to the original problem was deemed so minor that it did not require FAA approval or a review of Boeing employees as representatives of the agency, the regulator said.
– With help by Alan Levin
(Updates detailing electrical problems in ninth paragraph)