DGCA issues advisory to Indian airlines over ‘potential risk’ in Boeing 737 aircraft rudder control system

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued an advisory to all airlines operating Boeing 737 aircraft, instructing them to address concerns raised in a US investigation report over a “potential risk” of malfunction in the aircraft's rudder control system, reported Moneycontrol on Monday, October 7.

The safety advisory comes after the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released an Aviation Investigation Report that highlighted safety concerns in Boeing 737 aircraft equipped with a certain type of rudder control system, according to the report.

DGCA's advisory is an interim measure, and the aviation regulator will work with Boeing before releasing a long-term strategy to address the issue, a DGCA official said as cited by Moneycontrol. 

“We have asked Indian operators to notify their crew that the rudder control system might get jammed inflight or during landing due to moisture that could accumulate and freeze in the actuator. Further, the crew has been advised to refer to the flight manual called Quick Reference Handbook,” said the DGCA official. 

Air India Express, SpiceJet and Akasa Air operate Boeing 737 aircraft in their fleet. According to the report, the issue is specifically with the actuators manufactured by Collins Aerospace. 

The advisory regarding the Boeing 737 rudder system is applicable to only 5 of the aircraft in our fleet. We have initiated the process of compliance in adherence to the regulatory requirements, said an Air India spokesperson cited by the news agency ANI. 

“These interim measures aim to enhance safety and ensure that flight crews are well-prepared to handle potential rudder control issues effectively, pending further detailed operational guidance to be issued by Boeing/FAA,” said the Indian aviation regulator in the notification.

The DGCA statement cited the US aviation report on “Collins Aerospace SVO-730 Rudder Rollout Guidance Actuators,” which highlighted a “potential risk” of jamming and asked the airlines to convey measures to help crew handle such situations.

According to the DGCA's note, such aircraft will not perform Category III B landing or operations. The Category III B landing is a precision landing with a decision height of 50 feet and runway visibility between 150 and 700 feet.

The DGCA has instructed airlines to include training exercises that simulate scenarios involving a jammed or restricted rudder control system. Airlines have been asked to include specific exercises in Recurrent Training and IR/PPC, which simulate scenarios involving a Jammed or Restricted Rudder control system, including rollout procedures.

On September 30, the NTSB reported that over 40 foreign operators of the Boeing 737 aircraft, including the 737 MAX models, might be using planes with rudder components that can raise safety risks.

The NTSB issued safety recommendations last month about the possibility of a jammed rudder control on some Boeing 737 aircraft after an inquiry into a February incident involving a United Airlines flight.