The affected area impacts a component that structurally reinforces the front-door frame on some 737 planes, Boeing said. It requires an inspection of the fuselage paneling, according to the airworthiness directive.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the directive, posted Thursday, would apply from Sept. 10. The checks apply to in-service models of the new-generation Max jet including the 8, 9 and 8200 variants.
“The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products,” the agency said, adding that the cracks could lead to the structural integrity of part of the plane to be “adversely” compromised.
Boeing said it has been working with airline customers over the past six years after identifying the issue. It say the FAA-mandated checks stem from similar inspections for older generation 737NG jets in 2021.
“The FAA Airworthiness Directive published today mandates the inspections, as it did for the 737 Next Generation,” a Boeing spokeswoman said in a statement. “We support both directives and continue to support our airline customers.”
The US planemaker said it has already conducted an engineering analysis and is working through changes to prevent future cracking.