FAA orders rudder-pedal inspections of Boeing aircraft

Boeing 737

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration plans to order American operators of several Boeing aircraft to carry out checks on loose or missing fasteners on the flight control pedals, CNN has learned.

The FAA's aircraft worthiness directive affects about 1,400 Boeing 737s, 747s, 757s, 767s, and 777s.

Under the directive, U.S. airlines have three months to inspect the rudder pedal assemblies on their Boeing planes. The inspections are not expected to cause any delays or aircraft shortages during the peak summer travel season.

The directive was prompted by a recent incident in which a Boeing 737 flight captain found he had no control of his rudder during landing. A subsequent inspection revealed that the loss of control was caused by a fastener bolt coming loose from the assembly. The co-pilot was able to take over command of the plane without further problem.

An FAA spokesman has told CNN that the problem is not a significant safety concern since both pilots have separate rudder controls.

Nevertheless, the FAA is keeping an eye on manufacturing procedures at the Boeing plants.

Boeing had already instituted a change recently in inspection procedures for its production line.

The Boeing 737 assembly line was the subject of a massive FAA inspection just a few months ago, following the crash of a brand new 737 in Indonesia in December 1997. Wreckage from that crash -- in which 104 people died -- showed that fasteners on the tail plane were missing. The FAA then ordered airlines to inspect for missing rivets as a precautionary measure.

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