KUALA LUMPUR – The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has given Malaysian-based airlines and operators of the Boeing 737-8 MAX until January 10 to conduct inspections on their fleets’ rudder control systems for possible loose hardware.
The order from CAAM follows an urgent advisory issued by Boeing for all 737 MAX aircraft worldwide after an international operator detected a bolt with a missing nut while performing routine maintenance on a mechanism in the rudder control linkage of the aircraft.
Boeing had also inspected several of its aircraft in production and found an additional aft rudder quadrant output rod with an under-torqued, or hand-tight, fastener, said CAAM chief executive Datuk Norazman Mahmud in a safety information notice dated January 4.
“The fastener plays a significant role in ensuring proper functioning of the rudder control system,” he added.
“A disconnect between the aft quadrant output rod and the rudder feel and centring unit will result in loss of positive feel and centring in both the captain and first officer’s rubber pedals.
“The rudder will no longer respond to the pilot pedal inputs and will centre relative to the current rudder trim neutral position.”
He also noted that Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration were monitoring the outcome of the instructed inspections and would be conducting reviews on the safety impact to determine if additional action was required.
Norazman advised local operators to schedule inspections of their 737-8 MAX planes by January 10 and report the inspection findings to CAAM via the organisation’s assigned primary inspector and the CAAM aviation reporting system.
“Notification should also be made to Boeing,” he said, adding that CAAM would closely monitor the situation and decide on future steps as new information became available.
In November last year, Malaysia Airlines received its first B737-8 MAX aircraft, which was among the 25 slated to be rolled out by the national carrier as it looked to modernise its fleet.
The delivery came after several months-long delays attributed to a quality problem raised by Boeing. The issue involved a supplier that had improperly drilled holes on the aft pressure bulkhead, according to a Reuters report last August. – January 7, 2024