It’s far from clear skies ahead for Boeing’s troubled 737 planes.
Slats are pieces on the front of the wing and move along a track to create lift. They are most pivotal during take-off and landing.
The company said it believes 20 737 MAX and 21 737 NG planes may have defective slat tracks.
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Those crashes are believed to be linked to a faulty software update that Boeing has been working to resolve and were not related to the newly discovered wing issue.
After the crash in March, President Trump followed numerous other countries and organizations including China, the U.K. and the E.U. in issuing anemergency order for all 737 MAX aircrafts in the U.S. to be grounded.
Numerous airlines, including U.S. carriers likeAmerican and Southwest, used the 737 MAX 8for their flights. Those planes remain grounded.
With regard to the new wing slat issue, the FAAsaid in a statementthat while “the affected parts may be susceptible to premature failure or cracks resulting from the improper manufacturing process,” the failure of a slat track “would not result in the loss of the aircraft.” However, “a risk remains that a failed part could lead to aircraft damage in flight.”
The statement also said that the FAA would be issuing an Airworthiness Directive to identify and remove the parts from service. Operators of affected aircrafts are required to perform this action within 10 days.
“We are committed to supporting our customers in every way possible as they identify and replace these potentially non-conforming tracks,” said Kevin McAllister, President & CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
source: people.com
