Boeing 737 may pose risk due to faulty rudder control: DGCA to airlines

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a warning to all Indian airlines operating the Boeing 737 about the aircraft’s potentially dangerous rudder control system.

“All operators must conduct a Safety Risk Assessment for aircraft to evaluate and mitigate the risk associated with the rudder control system,” the DGCA, India’s civil aviation regulator, said in its statement to the airlines.

In India, Air India Express, Akasa Air and SpiceJet operate the Boeing 737 Max.

The regulator issued the recommendation after a US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) aviation investigation report highlighted safety concerns in Boeing 737 aircraft. According to the NTSB, over 40 foreign carriers operating the Boeing 737 and the 737 Max, could be flying aircraft with faulty rudder control system.

Following the NTSB report, the DGCA directed the Indian carriers to alert all Boeing 737 crew that the rudder control system of the aircraft could get jammed during flight or landing owing to frozen moisture accumulated in the actuator.

The glitch, incidentally, has been spotted in actuators manufactured by Collins Aerospace. In its statement, the DGCA cited the NTSB report, ‘Collins Aerospace SVO-730 Rudder Rollout Guidance Actuators’, which mentioned a “potential risk” of jamming and advised that airlines should prepare crew to deal with such situations.

Among significant measures, airlines flying the Boeing 737 have also been directed to initiate training exercises for their crew that simulate situations involving jammed rudder control system during flight or landing. Crew of airlines operating the Boeing 737 have also been asked to maintain and refer to a manual called the Quick Reference Handbook.

“These interim measures aim to enhance safety and ensure that flight crews are well-prepared to handle potential rudder control issues effectively, pending further detailed operational guidance to be issued by Boeing / FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)," the civil aviation regulator’s notification to the airlines said.

DGCA plans to collaborate with Boeing to arrive at a permanent solution for the problem. As of now, aircraft operating the Boeing 737 have been barred from Category III B landing or operations, DGCA revealed in its statement. Category III B is defined as precision landing with a decision height less than 50 feet where runway visibility is between 150 feet and 700 feet.