Aviation
Commercial /
Brazil
Safety flaw affects 737NG
Defective passenger doors poses risk of explosive decompression
Boeing 737 MAX
Image: Boeing
Rafael
2/28/2021
The North American Civil Aviation Agency (FAA) warns of the thickness of the handle wall used on the main front door of 737 MAX and 737 Next Generation aircraft. According to the agency, the structure is undersized, which can cause cracks in the system due to material fatigue.
The structure may not be able to withstand the load for which it was designed and thus break. This disruption could jeopardize the safety of people on board the plane.
Boeing 737 MAX 8
Image: Boeing
In more serious cases, what can happen is an explosive decompression, characterized by a rupture in the door that causes a very rapid decompression followed by an explosion that can affect the entire fuselage of the plane. In this situation, one of the procedures is to descend a dive very quickly to an altitude that does not require the pressurization of the cabin, however, this is not always possible.
Either way, the safety of the aircraft is compromised. For this reason, the FAA has issued an AD (airworthiness directive) that requires an inspection of the mechanism in order to identify any anomalies. If the problem is identified, a replacement with a newly designed system without the failure is necessary.
Boeing 737 NG
Image: Boeing
AD expects this inspection to begin on March 29 before the 10,000 cycles scheduled, or within 5,000 cycles for aircraft that have undergone maintenance after January 24. At least 1075 aircraft must pass inspection in the United States alone.
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