Boeing urges inspections of 737 Max planes for ‘possible loose bolt’

Boeing is urging airlines to inspect 737 Max planes to look for a “possible loose bolt” in the rudder control system, the latest quality issue to affect the manufacturer’s best-selling jetliner.

The manufacturer recommended the inspections after “an international operator discovered a bolt with a missing nut while performing routine maintenance on a mechanism in the rudder-control linkage,” according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration. “The company discovered an additional undelivered aircraft with a nut that was not properly tightened.”

The inspections will take about two hours per plane, and all new 737 Maxes will undergo the check before they’re handed over to customers, Boeing said.

“The issue identified on the particular airplane has been remedied,” Boeing said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, we are recommending operators inspect their 737 MAX airplanes and inform us of any findings.

Alaska Airlines plans to start the inspections on Thursday. A spokeswoman said the carrier expects to complete them in the first half of January. “We don’t expect any operational impact as a result,” she said.

A spokeswoman for United Airlines, one of the biggest 737 Max customers, said the carrier doesn’t expect any impact to its operations as a result of the issue.