Safety investigators have urgently recommended Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration to address a potential issue with the pedals used by pilots to steer 737 Max jetliners on runways. The National Transportation Safety Board issued the recommendations following an incident involving a United Airlines plane earlier this year. The concern is that moisture can leak into a rudder assembly, leading to the pedals becoming jammed if the moisture freezes.

The FAA indicated that United Airlines is the sole U.S. carrier affected by these recommendations. The agency mentioned that it believes the parts that could be prone to jamming are not currently in use. Collins Aerospace, a supplier for Boeing, identified an incorrectly assembled sealed bearing on actuators for rudders. This assembly issue impacted at least 353 actuators installed on some Max jets and older 737s, as per the NTSB.

As a response, the NTSB recommended that Boeing revise flight manuals to eliminate guidance advising pilots to use maximum pedal force to overcome a jammed rudder. The NTSB expressed concerns that such action could result in sudden rudder movements, potentially causing the aircraft to veer off the runway. Moreover, the NTSB proposed that the FAA evaluate whether actuators with incorrectly assembled bearings should be taken out until replacements are made available.

The incident that prompted these recommendations occurred on February 6 when the rudder pedals of a United Airlines Boeing Max 8 got stuck as the plane was taxiing down the runway after landing at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. In response, the captain had to utilize the tiller, a manual steering handle in the cockpit, to maneuver the aircraft. Consequently, the plane veered onto a high-speed turnoff, but fortunately, no injuries were reported among the 155 passengers and six crew members onboard.