NTSB Urges Quick Fix to 737 MAX Smoke Risk After Bird Strikes

Airlines and pilots have been warned about the issue from both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing, which is working on a solution.

A Boeing 737 MAX airplane takes off on a test flight from Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington on June 29, 2020. Karen Ducey/Reuters

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended on June 18 that Boeing swiftly modify the engines on its 737 MAX airplanes to prevent smoke from billowing into the cabin or cockpit after a bird strike engages a key safety feature.

Two bird strike incidents involving Southwest Airlines jets in 2023, one in New Orleans and another in Havana, Cuba, brought the issue of equipment malfunction to the board’s attention.