FAA Orders Inspections on Boeing 737 Max Jets Over Potential Fuselage Cracks
The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered inspections of Boeing 737 Max jets due to potential fuselage cracks. The directive affects 1,429 planes worldwide and requires U.S.-registered operators to examine each aircraft according to a timetable tied to flight hours.
No cracks have been found in the 737 Max specifically, but similar issues were discovered in older generation 737 planes. Boeing alerted Next Generation operators to the problem in 2019 and expanded the inspection program to cover the Max family five years later.
The FAA estimates the inspections will cost U.S. operators $85 per plane for an initial general visual check, with additional costs of up to $340 for detailed and eddy current inspections. Boeing is conducting analysis to determine the root cause of the cracks and working on manufacturing changes to prevent future issues.