Electrical Ground Issue Grounds Dozens Of MAXes

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Key Takeaways:

  • Boeing instructed 16 airlines to ground some 737 MAX planes due to a potential electrical system manufacturing fault.
  • The fault is isolated and unrelated to the flight control system; no incidents have been reported.
  • Airlines must inspect the affected planes, a process taking a few hours, with repairs potentially requiring several days.
  • This is the first maintenance bulletin requiring 737 MAX grounding since the plane's return to service.
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Boeing has told 16 airlines to ground some Boeing 737 MAXes until they confirm a proper ground connection on part of the electrical system after discovering a potential manufacturing fault. Dozens of aircraft all over the world are affected. Southwest pulled 30 from service, American 17 and United 16. None of the airlines has reported any issues because of the potential fault, which is isolated to one part of the electrical system. It is not related to the flight control system.

The airlines have been told to inspect the planes and check the ground and fix it if necessary. The inspection only takes a few hours but if it needs to be fixed the plane could be out of service for a few days. There have been several maintenance bulletins on the type since its return to service after a two-year grounding earlier this year but the first that took the planes out of service. 

Russ Niles

Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.
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