NTSB Issues Urgent Safety Alert on Boeing 737 Rudder Systems

The alert follows a Newark incident where rudder pedals jammed due to moisture, prompting recommendations for Boeing and the FAA.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued urgent safety recommendations after discovering potential rudder control system malfunctions on certain Boeing 737 aircraft.
An investigation was launched following a February incident where a United Airlines 737 MAX 8 experienced jammed rudder pedals during landing at Newark Liberty International Airport.
The malfunction is attributed to moisture seeping into the rollout guidance actuators, which can freeze and limit rudder movement, affecting more than 353 actuators supplied by Collins Aerospace since 2017.
The NTSB has recommended that Boeing update flight manuals to advise against using maximum pedal force to overcome a jammed rudder, as this could cause sudden and undesired rudder deflection.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will convene a corrective action review board to determine if the faulty actuators should be removed from service and to notify international regulators if necessary.