WASHINGTON: The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Monday it has ordered inspection of passenger masks in around 2,600 Boeing aircraft due to issues with adhesive materials that could cause them to shift out of position, reported German news agency (dpa).
“The fault could result in an inability to provide supplemental oxygen to passengers during a depressurisation event,” the FAA stated.
According to the FAA, the inspection order comes after multiple reports from passengers that the oxygen mask units had shifted out of position because of a “retention failure”.
The issue affects both older and newer versions of the Boeing 737 aircraft. The FAA is currently unable to estimate how many aircraft are affected by the defect and need reworking.
Meanwhile, Xinhua reported that the FAA said its airworthiness directive was immediately effective and requires inspections and corrective actions, if needed, within 120 to 150 days based on the 737 model.
Airlines must conduct a general visual inspection and, if necessary, replace oxygen generators with new or serviceable oxygen generators, strap thermal pads, and reposition impacted oxygen generators, the FAA noted.
Boeing has been under increased pressure to improve quality controls since an incident earlier this year, when an almost new Boeing 737-9 MAX operated by Alaska Airlines lost a door plug during ascent, leading to a gaping hole in the fuselage.
