FAA Issues Inspection Order for Boeing 737 MAX Fleet Over Crack Concerns

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is telling all airlines to start to inspect any Boeing 737 Max jets in their fleets for potential structural cracks after reports of structural cracking in older Boeing models. 

The cracks were only identified in older Boeing models, specifically the 737 Next Generation (NG) aircraft, on their “bear strap,” a structural reinforcement component on the upper corner of the jets’ forward service door (the galley door). The MAX jets shared the same design as those jets, which made the FAA issue the directive. 

According to the FAA order, the cracks “adversely affect the structural integrity of the airplane.”

There are more than 470 737 Max jets between the 737 Max 8, Max 9, and 737-8200, operating in the U.S. The FAA didn’t say to take the jets out of service, so the directive won’t necessarily impact flight schedules. The FAA also said that there’s enough time for airlines to schedule inspection and repair anything that needs work before it becomes a safety risk. 

Only jets with a safety risk, where a crack is detected, are expected to be taken out of service. 

Boeing, in a statement, said it supported the move, “we support both directives and continue to support our airline customers,” it said.

Major carriers like United and Southwest already said that they plan to perform the checks during standard maintenance rather than taking planes out of service. 

The 737 Max line is the workhorse narrow body jet for so many major airlines around the world, including Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Ryanair. 

Despite its popularity, the 737 Max family has a history of safety issues that led to significant disruptions, including a 20-month worldwide grounding following two fatal crashes in less than a year. There were also loose bolts discovered on United and Alaska Max jets in 2024 that led to canceled flights.