Emergency inspections ordered on all Boeing 737s in aftermath of China Airlines explosion
{{date|August 28, 2007}}
[[Image:China Airlines B-18616 fire.jpg|220px|thumb|The burnt-out wreckage of the aircraft. {{image credit|Thomas Mitchell}}]]
The [[United States]] [[w:Federal Aviation Administration|Federal Aviation Administration]] has issued an emergency [[w:Airworthiness Directive|Airworthiness Directive]] to all owners and operators of certain Next Generation [[w:Boeing|Boeing]] [[w:Boeing 737|737]]s to inspect their aircraft in light of recent developments in the investigation of the recent [[w:China Airlines|China Airlines]] [[w:China Airlines Flight 120|explosion]].

[[Image:Sas.b737.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|left|220px|An example of a Boeing 737 in commercial operation]]
The measures have been imposed due to the discovery that a structural bolt in the aircraft that exploded had come loose and punched a hole in the aircraft's right wing fuel tank.

It is thought the bolt came loose after a worker failed to replace a washer after a routine maintenance procedure several months prior to the accident.

Boeing spokesman Jim Proulx said "This was determined to be an issue of flight safety... It's very, very important."

Operators must complete an initial inspection of the wing slat assemblies of the affected aircraft in ten days, and must ensure the fasteners are properly torqued within 24 days. They must then repeat the inspections every 3,000 flight cycles thereafter. The directive is believed to affect over 2,000 aircraft worldwide.

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/296456/1/.html
|title=SIA, SilkAir not affected by US directive for checks on all Boeing 737s
|author=Asha Popatlal
|pub=Channel NewsAsia 
|date=August 28, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/27/AR2007082701399.html
|title=Checks of Boeings Ordered After Fire
|author= Del Quentin Wilber
|pub=Washington Post
|date=August 28, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library%5CrgAD.nsf/0/E5667C1BCE9E11618625734500831C0D?OpenDocument
|title=Emergency AD: Boeing Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900, -900ER airplanes
|pub=Department of Transportation: Federal Aviation Administration
|date=August 28, 2007}}

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[[Category:Aviation]]
[[Category:Economy and business]]
[[Category:Disasters and accidents]]
[[Category:Transport]]
[[Category:Boeing]]

[[es:Se ordenan inspecciones a todos los Boeing 737 en las secuelas del incidente de China Airlines]] [[Category:Iain Macdonald (Wikinewsie)]]
[[Category:Federal Aviation Administration]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:North America]]
The burnt-out wreckage of the aircraft. 
The United States Federal Aviation Administration has issued an emergency Airworthiness Directive to all owners and operators of certain Next Generation Boeing 737s to inspect their aircraft in light of recent developments in the investigation of the recent China Airlines explosion.

An example of a Boeing 737 in commercial operation
The measures have been imposed due to the discovery that a structural bolt in the aircraft that exploded had come loose and punched a hole in the aircraft's right wing fuel tank.

It is thought the bolt came loose after a worker failed to replace a washer after a routine maintenance procedure several months prior to the accident.

Boeing spokesman Jim Proulx said "This was determined to be an issue of flight safety... It's very, very important."

Operators must complete an initial inspection of the wing slat assemblies of the affected aircraft in ten days, and must ensure the fasteners are properly torqued within 24 days. They must then repeat the inspections every 3,000 flight cycles thereafter. The directive is believed to affect over 2,000 aircraft worldwide.


es:Se ordenan inspecciones a todos los Boeing 737 en las secuelas del incidente de China Airlines
Aviation Economy and business Disasters and accidents Transport Boeing Iain Macdonald (Wikinewsie) Federal Aviation Administration United States North America