According to recent reports, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has indicated a potential safety risk in the rudder components of Boeing 737 aircraft operated by over 40 foreign airlines. The NTSB issued an urgent safety recommendation on September 26, following an incident involving a United Airlines flight in February, which revealed the risk of rudder control system jamming in some Boeing 737 models.
The NTSB also disclosed that similar incidents occurred in 2019 with two foreign operators experiencing issues with the aircraft's skidding guide actuators. NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy expressed concerns to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), highlighting that other airlines might be unaware of these problematic actuators installed on their 737 aircraft.
Boeing has faced multiple safety issues recently. In January, an Alaska Airlines Boeing MAX9 aircraft suffered an in-flight emergency due to missing critical bolts. The NTSB is investigating a February incident where a Boeing 737 MAX8's rudder pedal jammed in the neutral position during landing at Newark, though no injuries were reported among the 161 passengers and crew.
As news of these safety concerns spread, Boeing's stock (BA, Financial) fell by 2.7% on September 30. The NTSB has identified that at least 271 affected components could be installed on approximately 40 foreign airlines' aircraft. Furthermore, 16 could be installed on U.S.-registered planes, with up to 75 possibly used in aftermarket installations.
The NTSB criticized Boeing for not informing United Airlines about the actuators connected to the rudder control system in their 737 aircraft and expressed concern for other airlines that might be unaware of these components.
