FAA Highlights Concern Over Sporadic Spoiler Activity on Boeing 737 Max During Flight

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reported concerning occurrences involving the Boeing 737 MAX, where there have been “multiple unusual spoiler deployments” leading to uncommanded aircraft rolls to the right during the cruise phase of flight. This unexpected behavior has prompted an in-depth FAA investigation, revealing the potential for a “hardover” condition in multiple flight spoilers on the same wing. Such a condition could overwhelm the aircraft’s lateral control capabilities, posing a significant risk of loss of control.

This series of events triggered a “spoilers” warning light and resulted in the generation of spoiler fault codes by the spoiler control electronics. According to the FAA, the issue, which presented intermittently across multiple flights, was traced back to wire chafing damage. This damage was attributed to spoiler control wire bundles rubbing against the landing gear beam rib in the right wing’s trailing edge, a consequence of non-standard installation practices during production.

In response to these findings, Boeing released an alert bulletin on July 14, 2023, directed at operators and maintenance teams. This bulletin outlines the necessary steps for conducting inspections and executing repairs, including measuring the clearance of spoiler control wire bundles and ensuring adequate clearance to mitigate the issue.

To rectify this identified “unsafe condition” across the 737-8, 737-9, and 737-8200 MAX models, the FAA has proposed an airworthiness directive (AD) mandating the execution of corrective measures as detailed in Boeing’s alert bulletin. While the FAA is currently unable to ascertain the exact number of aircraft requiring these repairs, it has provided cost estimates for the inspection and repair processes at $85 and $425, respectively.

This situation underscores the FAA’s ongoing commitment to maintaining stringent safety standards and proactive measures to address potential risks in the aviation industry, particularly concerning the Boeing 737 MAX fleet.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com