Boeing 737 operators warned by FAA about possible rudder control issue

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice to Boeing 737 Next Generation and Max operators about a potential issue with its rudder control system.
The National Transportation Safety Board previously issued its own urgent safety recommendation, saying that a United Airlines flight in February experienced a failure of a Collins Aerospace-designed part known as a rudder rollout guidance actuator.
Subsequently, the NTSB took the FAA to task in a letter between the agencies’ administrators, saying the FAA wasn’t doing enough to address potential risks with the part.
In its notice, the FAA tells airlines to alert crews of the potential issue.
“Operators of Boeing 737NG and 737MAX airplanes equipped with Collins Aerospace SVO730 RRGA should instruct flightcrews that the rudder control system could potentially become jammed or restricted in flight or during landing due to moisture that could accumulate and freeze in the RRGA actuator,” the bulletin said. It then outlines various countermeasures pilots should take depending on the phase of flight if a component failure occurs.
According to the NTSB, hundreds of the affected part could be in service at airlines globally, though it’s unclear exactly how many remain installed on U.S.-flagged aircraft.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected].