Precautionary Checks of Some 737s Ordered
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WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration ordered immediate checks of some Boeing 737s Thursday as a precaution after a mysterious crash last month in Indonesia.
Operators of newer models are being directed to check the leading edge of each horizontal stabilizer for missing fasteners and to verify that hinge bolts are properly installed.
The FAA said investigators reported 26 fasteners and a bolt might have been missing from the right stabilizer of a SilkAir 737-300 that plunged into an Indonesian river Dec. 19. All 104 people on board were killed.
The plane was only 10 months old, and the weather was clear.
The order affects 211 Boeing 737-300, 400 and 500 series aircraft delivered after Sept. 20, 1995. The checks must be made within 24 hours or five flights, the FAA said.
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