India: DGCA advisory to airlines over potential risk from jammed rudder control

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday issued interim safety recommendations to Indian carriers operating Boeing 737 aircraft and asked them to conduct a safety risk assessment to evaluate and mitigate the risk associated with the rudder control system. The aviation regulator’s advisory comes days after the US National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) on September 26 warned that a faulty component in some Boeing 737 aircraft could jam the plane’s rudder control system used by pilots to steer the jetliners on runways. NTSB was investigating a February 6, 2024, incident in which the rudder pedals on a United Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX were stuck in their neutral position while landing at Newark Liberty International Airport. According to NTSB, a sealed bearing was incorrectly assembled on actuators for rudders that pilots adjust to stay in the centre of the runway after landing. As a result, moisture could leak into a rudder assembly and freeze. In its interim safety recommendations on Monday, DGCA asked airlines to issue advisories and circulars to all its flight crew members regarding the possibility of a jammed or restricted rudder control system. “Appropriate mitigations must be communicated to help crews identify and handle such a situation,” the regulator told the airlines.<br/>