DGCA warns of ‘potential risk’ on Boeing 737 planes

Among the Indian airlines, Air India Express, SpiceJet, and Akasa have Boeing 737 planes in their fleet. Pic/X

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday issued an advisory to all airlines operating Boeing 737 aircraft regarding the ‘potential risk' of a malfunction of the rudder control system and asked them to conduct a safety risk assessment.

"The decision is an interim measure," a DGCA official said. "We will work with Boeing before coming out with a long-term strategy to address the issue," the official added.

The civil aviation regulator's recommendations come in light of a US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Aviation Investigation report that highlighted safety concerns in Boeing 737 aircraft equipped with a certain type of rudder control system.

In its advisory, the DGCA stated, "We have asked Indian operators to notify their crew that the rudder control system might get jammed inflight or during landing due to moisture that could accumulate and freeze in the actuator. Further, the crew has been advised to refer to the flight manual called Quick Reference Handbook."

"These interim measures aim to enhance safety and ensure that flight crews are well-prepared to handle potential rudder control issues effectively, pending further detailed operational guidance to be issued by Boeing/FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)," the advisory further read.

Among the Indian airlines, Air India Express, SpiceJet, and Akasa have Boeing 737 planes in their fleet. However, the problem pertains specifically to actuators manufactured by Collins Aerospace.

"Akasa Air has acknowledged the recommendations made by the DGCA and by Boeing. The identified issue does not impact our operations, and Akasa can confirm that there will be no disruptions to our flight schedule as a result of the latest DGCA / Boeing advisories. At Akasa, we understand the critical importance of safety in aviation and are committed to upholding the highest global standards of safety. We appreciate the vigilance of the DGCA and remain dedicated
to implementing any necessary measures to enhance our safety framework," said an Akasa Air Spokespoerson.

Spicejet has also confirmed that none of their aircrafts are affected by this advisory, "None of our Boeing 737 NG aircraft are impacted," said SpiceJet Spokesperson in an email response to mid-day.

Meanwhile, Air India Express has confirmed about 5 of their aircrafts being affected because of the advisory.

"The advisory regarding the Boeing 737 rudder system is applicable to only five of the aircraft in our fleet. We have initiated the process of compliance in adherence to the regulatory requirements," said an Air India Express spokesperson.

The aviation watchdog further said that all ‘Category III B' approach - landing, or operation - must be discontinued for these planes until further notice. A category III B approach is a precision landing with a decision height lower than 50 feet and a runway visibility between 700 feet and 150 feet.

"Airlines have been instructed to include training exercises that simulate scenarios involving jammed or restricted rudder control systems," said another DGCA official. "During pre-simulator briefings for recurrent training as well as proficiency checks, discussions over the rudder control system need to be included as a mandatory topic," the DGCA said.

On September 30, the US NTSB said more than 40 foreign operators of Boeing 737 aircraft, including the 737 MAXs, may be using planes with rudder components that could pose safety risks. Last month, the US NTSB issued urgent safety recommendations about the possibility of jammed rudder control on some 737 aircraft following an inquiry into a February incident involving a United Airlines flight.

It had warned Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration that the instructions contained in the QRH manual, which require pilots to exert maximum force on the rudder pedal in case of a jammed system, including a combined effort of both pilots, may lead to loss of control or departure from a runway because of a large input to the rudder pedals.