The FAA said seats on hundreds of U.S.-registered Boeing 737 MAX jets were installed incorrectly and must be fixed. Its proposed airworthiness directive would cover 453 U.S.-registered aircraft and warns the defect could injure passengers in an emergency landing. Each affected seat assembly would take about one work-hour to correct, with up to 69 assemblies per aircraft. The FAA did not set a repair deadline, and Boeing had no immediate comment.
FAA Finds Incorrectly Installed Seats On Hundreds Of Boeing 737 MAX Jets — 453 U.S. Planes Affected
Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are assembled at the Boeing Renton Factory in Renton, Washington, on June 25, 2024. - Jennifer Buchanan/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Monday that seats on hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX jets registered in the United States were installed incorrectly and must be corrected.
The agency warned the improperly mounted seats could pose a risk of injury to passengers during an emergency landing. The FAA published a proposed airworthiness directive (AD) that would apply to 453 U.S.-registered 737 MAX aircraft after receiving a report that certain passenger seat assemblies were not correctly installed in the seat tracks.
Each 737 MAX can have as many as 69 track-mounted passenger seat assemblies. The FAA estimated it would take about one work-hour to correct each affected assembly — up to 69 work-hours per aircraft in the worst-case scenario if every assembly required attention.
The proposed directive did not specify a compliance deadline or say how quickly airlines would be required to carry out the repairs. International carriers often follow applicable FAA directives, but the FAA notice did not state whether non-U.S. operators would be formally covered.
Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Background: Airworthiness directives are the FAA's formal mechanism for addressing safety defects. This action follows a report to the agency and is intended to ensure seat assemblies are securely installed so they perform as designed in an emergency.
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