The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered inspections for upwards of 1,000 U.S. Boeing 737 jets to examine the tails of certain planes that could bear faulty parts.
The FAA has issued a worthiness directive (AD) to inspect tail fixing pins that, if a malfunction occurs, could cause pilots to lose control of the plane.
The inspection began once questions concerning the aircraft's protective surface coating application arose.
"We are issuing this AD to prevent premature failure of the attach pins, which could cause reduced structural integrity of the horizontal stabilizer to fuselage attachment, resulting in loss of control of the airplane," the FAA stated in their statement released Monday.
Boeing has encountered a few issues in the recent past. This inspection follows the grounding of the entire 787 Dreamliner fleet in January. The company's aircrafts were called into question after battery-related issues led to smoke and fire on a few flights.
The 737 is an aircraft with two engines, and lies in the medium-range size. It was originally produced in 1968, according to Forbes.
Models under scrutiny include the 737-600, 737-700, 737-700C, 737-800, 737-900 and 737-900ER, reports Reuters.
The updates could cost $10.1 million for the entire American fleet-that translates to about $9,627 per aircraft.
Aviation authorities project the renovations should be done by May 20.
Boeing first realized the finish had corroded on recently installed attachment pins; the pins require attention after 56,000 flights, and these planes had not embarked on more than 40,000 trips.
The company has stressed the updates have been in the works for nearly a year, and the changes were not due to any accidents in the aircrafts. Large American airlines like Southwest, United, America, Delta and Alaska all fly 737 jets.
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