The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered airlines to inspect Boeing 737 NextGen aircraft after cracks in the fuselage were discovered during maintenance.
Some ‘structural cracks’ were found in a part called the ‘pickle fork’ which is an attachment that helps link the fuselage to the wing structure.
"Boeing has notified the FAA and been in contact with 737 NG operators about a cracking issue discovered on a small number of airplanes undergoing modifications," Boeing said in a statement.
The potential problem doesn’t affect the Boeing 737 Max which is currently grounded, the FAA said.
The FAA is ‘instructing operators to conduct specific inspections, make any necessary repairs and to report their findings to the agency immediately.’
A former Boeing engineer told news outlet KOMO that cracking in the pickle fork is extremely ‘unusual.’
