FAA orders inspection of Boeing 737 MAX seats that could come loose during turbulence or emergency landing

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is telling airlines to inspect hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX jets after reports that some seats may have been installed incorrectly.

Regulators said improperly secured seats could come loose during severe turbulence or an emergency landing.

“The FAA has received a report indicating that certain track-mounted passenger seat assemblies were not correctly installed in the seat tracks; the aft fitting shear plungers were not correctly lowered and not engaged in the seat tracks,” The Federal Register stated. “A track-mounted passenger seat assembly that is installed incorrectly can disengage from the seat tracks if there is an increased load, turbulence, or emergency landing. This condition, if not addressed, could result in injury to passengers and crew during an emergency landing or could block the aisle, which could slow evacuation.”

The proposed directive covers more than 450 MAX aircraft in the U.S.

The FAA is calling for detailed inspections, while Boeing works with airlines on the issue.

FAA restores Boeing’s authority to issue airworthiness certificates

Less than two weeks ago, the FAA restored Boeing’s authority to issue airworthiness certificates for all newly built 737 MAX and 787 aircraft, a significant milestone for the planemaker after years of restricted oversight.

The FAA said that after months of review, the agency decided Boeing’s final safety checks on its planes are good enough to ensure they are airworthy.

Since September, Boeing and the agency had been taking weekly turns performing the safety checks that are required before aircraft are cleared for delivery and declared safe to fly. The FAA said earlier this month that the plane maker and government inspectors were both issuing similar findings as they issued airworthiness certificates.

Federal regulators took full control over 737 Max approvals in 2019, after the second of two crashes that were later blamed on a new software system Boeing developed for the aircraft. The FAA ended the company’s right to self-certify 787 Dreamliners in 2022, citing ongoing production quality issues.

“Safety drives everything we do, and this step forward is only possible because we are confident it can be done safely,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said.

Government inspectors will continue to oversee Boeing’s factories, but Bedford said they will now be able to focus more on finding and addressing potential defects earlier in the manufacturing process. The plane maker said it will continue working to improve safety.

Contributing: Aaron Granillo, KIRO Newsradio; The Associated Press