Electrical fault on Boeing’s 737 MAX appears more widespread than first thought

Electrical fault on Boeing’s 737 MAX appears more widespread than first thought
© Belga

The electrical fault that led Boeing to ask clients to ground a specific group of jets affects more sections of the cockpit than initially observed, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

The U.S. plane manufacturer had asked 16 companies on Friday to ground the 737 MAX jet temporarily, pending checks on a problem with its electrical power system, discovered while building one of the planes.

“The recommendation is being made to allow for verification that a sufficient ground path exists for a component of the electrical power system,” Boeing said in a press release.

Related News

“We are working closely with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on this production issue,” Boeing added. “We are also informing our customers of specific tail numbers affected and we will provide direction on appropriate corrective actions.”

Wall Street Journal quoted sources close to the issue as saying that the problem arose from the use of a coat of paint that could possibly affect the grounding system, which helps to avoid any overload on a plane’s electrical circuit.

Without confirming the Wall Street Journal’s information, Boeing told French news agency AFP on Friday that it was collaborating with its clients on new instructions that will be submitted to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for approval.

The number of planes and customers involved has not been disclosed.

The Boeing 737 MAX had been authorised to fly again by the U.S. authorities after being grounded for 20 months following two air disasters.

Boeing said the new problem was not related to the flight-control system that had led to the previous grounding.

The Brussels Times


Copyright © 2024 The Brussels Times. All Rights Reserved.