Editor's Pick | Missing component in Boeing 737 MAX-8 of an Indian airline

An Indian airline discovered that a “washer” in the rudder control system of a Boeing 737 MAX-8 plane was missing after the aircraft maker ordered a global inspection of the MAX family of aircraft last month, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Tuesday. This revelation came mere hours after reports emerged that two U.S carriers, United Airlines and Alaska Airlines, found loose bolts on their MAX-9 plug doors. MAX-8 and -9 are variants of the Boeing 737 MAX series. Rectification recommended by Boeing was carried out before clearing the aircraft for flight operations, the DGCA said. It did not name the Indian airline that reported the missing washer. Three Indian airlines — Akasa Air, SpiceJet, and Air India Express — operate 737 MAX-8 planes. Thirty-nine of the 40 MAX-8 in service in India have been inspected. The Boeing advisory, issued late December, for one-time inspection of 737 MAX planes for possible loose hardware came after one of its airline customers informed it of a missing nut and washer in the “aft rudder quadrant” during a routine maintenance check. A week later, the MAX family of aircraft found itself in yet another safety crisis after a plug-door on a Boeing 737 MAX-9 plane of Alaska Airlines blew out mid-flight while it was headed to Ontario in California from Portland in Oregon. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is investigating whether four bolts that were supposed to hold the panel in place were missing when the plane took off. Both airlines have grounded their MAX planes and cancelled hundreds of flights. Alaska has 65 MAX-9 planes and United has 78. Reports suggest that United Airlines has found loose bolts on as many as 10 aircraft. Alaska Airlines said in a statement on Monday that “initial reports from our technicians indicate some loose hardware was visible on some aircraft”. Following the U.S. incident, the Indian regulator also asked domestic airlines to check emergency doors on aircraft. The inspection did not yield any untoward findings. Indian airlines have only MAX-8 aircraft and not the MAX-9 that have been grounded in the U.S. Boeing, in a statement, said, “We are committed to ensuring every Boeing airplane meets design specifications and the highest safety and quality standards. We regret the impact this has had on our customers and their passengers.” Editorials Good growth, low demand: On the NSO projection Investor confidence: On the two-day Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet, GIM 2024 The Hindu Daily News Quiz Who is the UK’s Defence Secretary? Grant Shapps Jeremy Hunt Penny Mordaunt Ben Wallace To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 10 January 2024 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Missing component in Boeing 737 MAX-8 of an Indian airline An Indian airline discovered that a [“washer” in the rudder control system of a Boeing 737 MAX-8 plane was missing]( after the aircraft maker ordered a global inspection of the MAX family of aircraft last month, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Tuesday. This revelation came mere hours after reports emerged that two U.S carriers, United Airlines and Alaska Airlines, found loose bolts on their MAX-9 plug doors. MAX-8 and -9 are variants of the Boeing 737 MAX series. Rectification recommended by Boeing was carried out before clearing the aircraft for flight operations, the DGCA said. It did not name the Indian airline that reported the missing washer. Three Indian airlines — Akasa Air, SpiceJet, and Air India Express — operate 737 MAX-8 planes. Thirty-nine of the 40 MAX-8 in service in India have been inspected. The Boeing advisory, issued late December, for one-time inspection of 737 MAX planes for possible loose hardware came after one of its airline customers informed it of a missing nut and washer in the “aft rudder quadrant” during a routine maintenance check. A week later, the MAX family of aircraft found itself in yet another safety crisis after a plug-door on a Boeing 737 MAX-9 plane of Alaska Airlines blew out mid-flight while it was headed to Ontario in California from Portland in Oregon. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board is investigating whether four bolts that were supposed to hold the panel in place were missing when the plane took off. Both airlines have grounded their MAX planes and cancelled hundreds of flights. Alaska has 65 MAX-9 planes and United has 78. Reports suggest that United Airlines has found loose bolts on as many as 10 aircraft. Alaska Airlines said in a statement on Monday that “initial reports from our technicians indicate some loose hardware was visible on some aircraft”. Following the U.S. incident, the Indian regulator also asked domestic airlines to check emergency doors on aircraft. The inspection did not yield any untoward findings. Indian airlines have only MAX-8 aircraft and not the MAX-9 that have been grounded in the U.S. Boeing, in a statement, said, “We are committed to ensuring every Boeing airplane meets design specifications and the highest safety and quality standards. We regret the impact this has had on our customers and their passengers.” Editorials [Arrow][Good growth, low demand: On the NSO projection]( [Arrow][Investor confidence: On the two-day Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet, GIM 2024]( The Hindu Daily News Quiz Who is the UK’s Defence Secretary? - Grant Shapps - Jeremy Hunt - Penny Mordaunt - Ben Wallace To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here](. 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