Photographer: Simon Dawson / Bloomberg
Photographer: Simon Dawson / Bloomberg
Boeing Co. found potential electrical defects in two additional areas of the 737 Max cabin, a week after a similar manufacturing defect caused a temporary shutdown for recently delivered courier planes, people familiar with the matter said.
Planner inspected Max’s flight deck to detect other electrical faults near the fault was unveiled last week with the aircraft’s power control unit and is working out repair plans. Maintenance is not expected to be time consuming or complicated, requiring only basic hardware, such as nuts and bolts, according to a Boeing-informed Max customer.
However, the discovery of new problems adds to the embarrassment for Boeing, which is trying to make a smooth return for Max, after a 20-month ground forced by two fatal accidents. The electrical problem could affect about 450 Max aircraft manufactured since the beginning of 2019, including about 90 aircraft operated by airlines, and the rest are awaiting delivery.
The work should take a few days for each plane, after Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration have an action plan, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is confidential.
Boeing said it was “working with customers on service bulletins that will be subject to FAA approval. The bulletins focus on ensuring a sufficient ground path in the flight deck of the affected aircraft. ”
Shares fell 1.2% to $ 248.18 at the close in New York.
The FAA has not yet ordered any repairs while Boeing continues to assess the situation. “The FAA will carefully review any proposed solution that Boeing presents to us,” the agency said in an email.
Aviation Week reported earlier that the defects were followed by a manufacturing change made in early 2019 involving fasteners and a cover.
In some cases, the coating, such as paint, can affect the electrical grounding path, causing a unit that controls the reserve power for the aircraft to malfunction, people said.
The change in production that led to the original issue was considered so minor that it did not require FAA approval or a review by replaced Boeing employees as agency representatives, the regulator said.
“With the assistance of Alan Levin.”
(Updates with details on the electrical problem in the ninth paragraph)