The crown jewel of US airline manufacturer Boeing -- the Boeing 737 line of airplanes -- has suffered yet another setback. And it isn't a software glitch.?
Boeing has revealed in a statement that some of its 737 planes, including many of the 737 Max aircraft, may have faulty parts on their wings. This points to a much larger fundamental defect in the Boeing 737 plane's design than previously feared.
Reuters
After 300 deaths in two international airplane crashes, India has grounded its fleet of Boeing 737 Max aircrafts from flying domestically. And more misery is piling on the aircraft manufacturer, as Boeing has confirmed that some 737 Max aircrafts may have faulty wing parts attached to them.
According to several reports, Boeing is actively reaching out to airlines around the world, asking them to inspect a particular section of the 737's wings -- specifically the slat track assembly -- for design defects.
Slat track assemblies are part of the aircraft wing that protrude or retract to give the aircraft lift during take-off and increased resistance during landing, and Boeing is asking 737-600, 737-700, 737-800 and 737-900 plane operators, including Boeing 737 MAX variants to verify their slat assemblies.
Reuters
Boeing is suggesting that faulty aircraft wings in some 737 shipped out may need to be serviced prematurely and replaced.?
If not looked into, the US airline manufacturer claims that these faulty parts could crack or fall apart, and while it won't be enough to bring down a plane, it may well damage the airplane while in flight.
Airlines around the world who have their Boeing 737 planes grounded are being asked to have their wing slat assemblies checked and verified within the next 10 days.