FAA orders inspection of 2,600 Boeing 737s due to possible issue with oxygen masks
The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has ordered operators of Boeing 737 NG and MAX jets in the United States to check their aircraft’s oxygen masks.
The fear is that a restraint strap may fail during emergency situations.
The inspection includes approximately 2,600 aircraft from both the Next Generation and MAX series, said the FAA.
According to reports, the oxygen generators in the passenger service unit may move out of position, which would result in the inability to provide supplemental oxygen to passengers during a depressurization.
On June 17, Boeing had warned its customers to perform visual inspections, but has now ordered them to update the containment strap subassembly on the oxygen generators.
The issue was detected following a change to apply an adhesive to the strips from August 2019 and in certain circumstances allows the units to shift enough to cause potential failure.
The new safety directive involving the 737 comes as Boeing is about to plead guilty to US courts in connection with the crashes of two 737 MAX 8 jets that killed 346 people.
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