Is there a screw loose at Boeing? Possibly – at least airlines are officially called upon to check their 737-Max aircraft for a possible deficiency.

This was announced by the US aviation authority FAA last week. The background was a missing screw nut in the rudder system, which was noticed during routine maintenance of an international airline. Boeing and the FAA then recommended that all airlines check their newer 737-Max jets for this vulnerability.

US aviation authority does not want to take any more risks Boeing is trying to downplay the issue. It is purely a precautionary measure. The aircraft can continue to fly safely, and production and delivery will continue. The FAA, on the other hand, is alarmed: They want to closely monitor the inspections and do not rule out further consequences in the case of further missing or inadequately secured components.

It is a bitter lesson from recent history that can be seen in this process: In the past, the FAA would probably have taken note of the incident, but not dramatized it as much. However, when it comes to the 737-Max, they no longer want to take any risks.

Bitter lessons from two crashes The model was „grounded“ after two crashes with a total of more than 300 fatalities worldwide, meaning it was not allowed to take off and remained on the ground for almost two years. The cause of the crashes was identified as a change in the software of the control system, which was not known to the pilots at the time of the accidents, so they could not react and intervene adequately.

The consequences were devastating, not only for the relatives of the passengers of the two crashed planes but also for Boeing. The bestseller was on the ground for two years – a bigger disaster had never happened in the history of the US company. The economic damage was immense, and even the once impeccable image suffered.

FAA’s image has also suffered Not only the image of Boeing – but also that of the FAA as a reliable regulatory authority. Because during the meticulous investigations, it was revealed that the authority had relied too much on manufacturer information and only superficially checked them. This raised accusations of collusion and tarnished the FAA’s reputation in the general public.

Now, the relationship is tense, even more so as it involves the 737-Max model again. In April, the aircraft, which is now allowed to fly again, made headlines due to a wrongly installed part. The loose screw in the rudder system that has now been noticed is therefore under particularly close observation.

Boeing stock takes a hit after soaring Even investors are concerned about the news: after the announcement, the Boeing share fell by 1 percent and was the bottom performer in the US stock index Dow Jones on that trading day. On an annual basis, however, investors were able to generate profits: in the last 12 months, the Boeing share rose by almost 30 percent and, like many other individual stocks in the last two months of the calendar year, benefited from an end-of-year rally.

Additionally, from an investor’s perspective, the news that the 737-Max can now also be delivered to Chinese airlines again, which was previously prevented by China for several years due to safety concerns after the two crashes, had a positive effect.