The Federal Aviation Administration “plans to issue a directive Tuesday mandating operators of about 175 older Boeing 737s to conduct inspections for wear and tear.” (CNN, CNN Wire Staff, 4/5/11). This announcement comes just two days after a Boeing 737 flown by Southwest Airlines was forced to make an emergency landing due to a several foot hole in the fuselage.
As a Chicago personal injury lawyer, I am hopeful that the FAA acts quickly to make sure all planes are safe for flying. The recent events have unveiled a big issue, that must be addressed immediately.
The FAA says most of the 80 Boeing 737s registered in the U.S. are part of the Southwest fleet. Southwest grounded these planes for inspection following the emergency landing in Arizona. Approximately 95 Boeing 737's are registered outside of the United States.
All of these planes have “taken off and landed more than 30,000 times and will receive repetitive electromagnetic inspections at regular intervals for fatigue damage.” The National Transportation Board is also part of this process and solution, and Boeing released a statement saying it too is working with the airlines to ensure the safety of these planes.
