U.S. air safety officials have ordered the inspection of more than 1,000 Boeing 737 jets to make sure the aircraft is safe to fly.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued the order Monday, saying that corrosion-prone pins installed in the tails of the world's most popular passenger jet could result in "reduced structural integrity," causing pilots to lose control of the aircraft if the pins were to fail.
The safety check order applies to 1,050 aircraft flown by U.S. carriers and could cost air carriers more than $10 million.
Foreign regulators, who often follow the lead of U.S. safety officials, are likely to order the same checks on hundreds more of the popular twin-engine airplanes.
The U.S. air safety agency ordered the checks after reports surfaced that an incorrect procedure was used to apply a surface coating to the pins to protect against corrosion.
No accidents have been reported because of the suspect parts, which help secure horizontal stabilizers on the jets and control the up-and-down movement of the aircraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued the order Monday, saying that corrosion-prone pins installed in the tails of the world's most popular passenger jet could result in "reduced structural integrity," causing pilots to lose control of the aircraft if the pins were to fail.
The safety check order applies to 1,050 aircraft flown by U.S. carriers and could cost air carriers more than $10 million.
Foreign regulators, who often follow the lead of U.S. safety officials, are likely to order the same checks on hundreds more of the popular twin-engine airplanes.
The U.S. air safety agency ordered the checks after reports surfaced that an incorrect procedure was used to apply a surface coating to the pins to protect against corrosion.
No accidents have been reported because of the suspect parts, which help secure horizontal stabilizers on the jets and control the up-and-down movement of the aircraft.