Shares of Boeing sank almost 2% as investors discover new problems regarding the 737 Max model line. The drop comes after a sensitive time when Boeing just presented new changes to the Federal Aviation Authority as well as other regulators around the world to allow its 737 Max to operate back in the air.
On Sunday, Boeing said that it discovered some possible problems in a part that goes onto the wings of various 737 aircraft known as “slat tracks,” Yahoo says is the part that helps adapt the aerodynamic qualities of the wing to different needs at various stages of flight.
However, the 737 Max planes aren’t the only one experiencing parts problems as the company said it believes 148 slat tracks are found to have issues involving 20 737 Max and 21 737 NG planes may have defective slat tracks. The 737 NG series includes the 737-600, -700, -800 and -900 planes.
Some the tracks may not meet manufacturing standards and may need to be replaced, Boeing and the FAA said. They said if the parts are found to be defective, airlines should replace them before returning the planes to service. But the FAA advised airlines to check an additional 179 Max planes and 133 NGs to determine if their parts are also faulty.
The faulty parts could fail prematurely or crack. The FAA said a part failure would not bring down a plane, but it could damage an aircraft while in flight, reports CNN.
Boeing has sent out a service bulletin and the FAA will issue an airworthiness directive requiring airlines to inspect and repair its slat track assemblies within 10 days.
However, the problem could not have been overly emphasized as replacement parts are currently available and the issues pose no significant threat to passenger safety. Boeing is just coincidentally still recovering from the two 737 crashes that are facing pressure on the airline manufacturer’s safety standards.
