Safety fears force checks on B737s in China

Safety fears force checks on B737s in China

China has ordered domestic airlines to perform safety inspections of more than 400 Boeing 737 airplanes due to concerns over the tail flap mechanism, Friday\’s National Business Daily reported.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), issued an \”Emergency Airworthiness Directive\” on March 15 and an official from CAAC\’s north China branch said the order affects Boeing 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900 and -900ER, according to the report.
The official, who did not give his name, said CAAC\’s directive means the problem is a \”potential safety hazard\” and if airlines do not follow the order, the aircraft will not be allowed to take off.
CAAC\’s directive followed a similar one issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on March 12. FAA ordered that all above-mentioned series of Boeing 737s be checked for loose elevator tabs caused by fractured mounting lugs that help control the tail flaps, according to Bloomberg.
Bloomberg said Boeing identified the problem after an incident when a flight crew noticed excessive vibration and was forced to divert but finally made a safe landing.
Boeing\’s China branch said it has informed its Chinese customers about the problem and promised to provide technical support. The airlines in China also confirmed to Boeing that they are aware of the problem and are inspecting the planes, National Business Daily said in its report.
CAAC ordered all domestic airlines to report the result of inspections within 10 days.
Boeing 737 is one of the most popular airliners in China. National Business Daily said by this February, at least 603 B737s are in service on the Chinese mainland and over 400 of them are involved in safety inspections this time.
All of the three major Chinese airlines – China Southern, Air China and China Eastern – have a large B737 fleet.