FAA requires fuel-sealant inspections on some Boeing 737 Max 9s

The FAA is proposing inspections of 25 Boeing 737 Max 9s after determining that a fuel sealant was not applied during manufacturing. The sealant in question is intended to act as a “fuel barrier” on “blowout” doors, says an FAA proposed airworthiness directive (AD) released on Tuesday. “Application of sealant on the left wing and right wing leading-edge outboard blowout door was missing during the airplane manufacturing process on some model 737-9 airplanes,” the proposed order says. “In the event of a substantial fuel leak from the wing box, missing sealant could result in an unintended drain path allowing fuel to come into contact with the engine.” The result could be a “large ground fire”. Boeing says the issue stems from since-updated 737 Max 9 work instructions.<br/>