FAA orders Boeing 737 Max inspections for possible cracks

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered inspections of hundreds of Boeing 737 Max jets after cracks were found in a structural component on older Boeing 737 aircraft, expanding scrutiny to Max models that share a similar design and build process.

The airworthiness directive, issued Thursday, applies to certain Boeing 737 Max 8, 737 Max 9 and 737-8200 aircraft. The FAA said it covers 471 planes in the United States and 1,429 worldwide, according to CBS News. The Guardian reported that the inspections will start in September.

No cracks have been found so far in 737 Max jets, the FAA said. The order sets a mandatory inspection schedule intended to find and repair any cracks before they become a safety issue.

The cracks reported on older 737 models were found in a component known as the bear strap, sheets or structural reinforcement around doorways and emergency exits. The affected area is around the forward service door near the galley on the right side of the aircraft. Over time, stress from repeated takeoffs and landings can lead to cracking near door corners.

The FAA said the similar design and build process of the Max models makes them susceptible to developing the problem. Without action, the agency said, the cracking could “lead to the inability of a principal structural element to sustain limit loads and adversely affect the structural integrity of the airplane.”

The directive follows a similar FAA inspection program for Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft that dates back to 2021, The Guardian reported.

Boeing said it first identified and notified operators of 737 Next Generation planes about the issue in 2019, providing “detailed instructions for conducting the recommended inspections.” Although the company said the issue has not been seen in the 737 Max fleet, it extended the inspections to Max aircraft in 2024 because the model shares a similar design and build process with the Next Generation planes.

“The FAA airworthiness directive published today mandates the inspections, as it did for the 737 Next Generation,” a Boeing spokesperson said Thursday. “We support both directives and continue to support our airline customers.”

Boeing said the inspections will give operators multiple chances to identify and correct problems before any cracks exceed critical length. The company also said it is conducting analysis and working through engineering changes to determine the root cause and prevent the cracks in future aircraft.

Southwest Airlines, one of the main U.S. operators of Boeing 737 jets, told CBS News it was “reviewing” the FAA directive and “will accomplish the inspections on the affected airplanes according to the schedule specified by the FAA.”

United Airlines said it did not expect near-term disruptions. “We don’t anticipate any impact to our operations in the near term and will accomplish the inspections during heavy maintenance visits,” a spokesperson told CBS News. “And given where our oldest MAX total flight cycles are right now it won’t be for some time until those inspections are due.”

The order comes as Boeing continues to face intense attention over engineering and production issues. The Guardian noted that scrutiny increased after two 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 killed hundreds of passengers and led to the model being grounded worldwide. In 2024, a panel blew out of an Alaska Airlines 737 Max in mid-flight, and Ryanair sent engineers to Boeing’s U.S. factories to help oversee deliveries of the planes it had ordered.