More trouble for Boeing 737 Max: under investigation for rudder problems

US investigators are investigating another accident involving the Boeing 737 Max airliner: a case in which the plane's timone system malfunctioned while the pilots were landing.

The pilots of a United Airlines 737 Max 8 claimed that the pedals controlling the thymone, a key device for steering the plane, jammed as they landed at Newark Liberty International Airport on 6 February: The US National Transportation Safety Board (Ntsb) said this in a preliminary report on Thursday.

The incident is the latest involving Boeing's best-selling airliner, which was grounded worldwide in 2019 following the second of two fatal accidents that killed 346 people. Earlier this year, a panel covering an unused door on a 737 Max 9 opened during flight, apparently because it had not been secured properly during final assembly, according to preliminary findings by the Ntsb.

The previous 737 models had suffered two fatal accidents in the 1990s, which killed 157 people, due to a defect in the rudder system, Ntsn pointed out. The company was forced to redesign the rudder and the problem has not occurred since. Although it is unclear whether this is related to the Newark incident, Boeing recommended inspecting the Max aircraft last year to look for loose bolts in the rudder control system.