The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered inspections of hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX jets after cracks were found in structural components on some older-generation 737 aircraft.
The directive, published on Thursday, applies to 471 jets registered in the United States, including certain Boeing 737-8, 737-9, and 737-8200 models.
The action follows reports of cracks in structural reinforcement around the forward service door near the galley on the right side of some older 737 aircraft, the FAA said.
The cracks were found in what is known as the “bear strap,” a structural reinforcement surrounding doorways and emergency exits. Repeated stresses from takeoffs, landings, and cabin pressurization can contribute to cracking near the corners of aircraft doors over time.
Beginning Sept. 10, the directive will require operators to inspect the bear strap as well as the surrounding fuselage skin, which forms the aircraft’s exterior body.
In a statement to The Epoch Times, Boeing said it first notified operators of its 737 Next Generation aircraft about the issue in 2019 and provided “detailed instructions for conducting the recommended inspections.” The FAA subsequently made those inspections mandatory through an airworthiness directive issued in 2021.
Boeing said that while the cracking has not been observed in the 737 MAX fleet, it still extended the recommended inspections to MAX aircraft because they have a design and manufacturing process that is similar to the affected older models.
The latest inspection order comes as Boeing works to increase 737 MAX production following years of heightened federal oversight.
In June, the FAA restored Boeing’s full authority to conduct final safety signoffs on newly manufactured 737 aircraft. The agency had restricted Boeing’s ability to issue certain airworthiness certificates following the two fatal crashes involving 737 MAX jets in 2018 and 2019.
The FAA began gradually easing those restrictions last year, allowing Boeing to resume issuing some of the certificates required before newly built aircraft can be delivered.
Last month, Boeing opened a new 737 production line in Everett, Washington, about 40 miles north of the program’s longtime manufacturing base in Renton. The company expects the additional line to help reduce its backlog of 737 MAX orders.
According to Boeing’s second-quarter earnings report, the total backlog expanded to a record $715 billion, including more than 6,200 commercial airplanes valued at $597 billion.
The company now aims to increase production of the 737 jet to 47 aircraft per month, up from 42 per month earlier this year.
