(The Epoch Times)—A federal agency on Monday warned that dozens of foreign plane operators may be using Boeing 737s with suspect rudder control parts that could pose potential safety risks.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)’s chairwoman, Jennifer Homendy, said that 271 impacted parts could be installed on aircraft in service operated by at least 40 foreign air carriers. Sixteen of the impacted parts may still be installed on U.S.-registered aircraft and up to 75 such parts may have been used in aftermarket installation, she wrote in a Sept. 30 letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
On Sept. 27, the NTSB issued an “urgent” safety warning for some Boeing 737s, including the Max variant, because there is a “potential for a jammed or restricted rudder control system on some 737 airplanes.” The rudder that the NTSB is referencing controls a plane’s side to side movement of the nose of the aircraft.
Homendy’s Monday letter, making reference to last week’s warning, said that her agency is concerned “of the possibility that other airlines are unaware of the presence of these actuators on their 737 airplanes.” Her letter did not identify the foreign airlines or the countries where they operate.
Concerns Over FAA
The NTSB director further wrote that she believes the “FAA has been downplaying the urgency of this issue, maintaining that the units are no longer in service,” without elaborating.
“I remain concerned that the FAA, as a whole, did not take this issue more seriously until we issued our urgent safety recommendation report, despite the risk of loss of control of an aircraft or departure from the runway occurring due to a jammed or restricted rudder control system, caused by a defect in certain rollout guidance actuators,” the letter stated.
The FAA, Homnedy added, apparently has not “initiated urgent actions to address the risk of jammed rudder controls in the 6 months since our preliminary report on this incident was issued.”
“The case for urgent action is even greater since, after we opened our investigation, the FAA became aware of two similar incidents that had occurred with foreign operators in 2019,” the letter noted.
Concerns Over Boeing
Homendy was critical of Boeing for what she said was a failure to inform United Airlines that faulty actuators were installed in the 737 planes that were delivered to the carrier.
“We are concerned of the possibility that other airlines are unaware of the presence of these actuators on their 737 airplanes,” her letter stated. “Not making operators fully aware of the installed systems and equipment on the airplanes delivered to them is unacceptable and cannot continue to be tolerated,” she added.
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The Epoch Times has contacted both Boeing and the FAA for comment on the letter. Boeing has not publicly commented on the urgent safety warning or Homnedy’s letter to the FAA.
What the Urgent Warning Said
The NTSB said last week it is currently investigating an incident in February in which the rudder pedals of a Boeing 737 Max 8 that was operated by United Airlines became “stuck” in a “neutral position” during the plane’s landing rollout at the Newark International Airport in New Jersey.
The plane wasn’t damaged, and no injuries were reported in association with the incident, the agency said.
“NTSB investigators tested one of the rudder control components from the incident airplane, a rollout guidance actuator, at the component’s manufacturer, Collins Aerospace,” the NTSB warning stated. “When the incident actuator and an identical unit from another airplane were tested in a cold environment, the actuators’ function was significantly compromised.”
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Investigators with the safety agency discovered there may have been moisture in the actuators of the plane, “which failed testing.”
Collins Aerospace, the maker of the rudder control components used by the the plane “subsequently determined that a sealed bearing was incorrectly assembled during production of the actuators, leaving the unsealed side more susceptible to moisture that can freeze and limit rudder system movement,” the agency said.
Collins had also told Boeing that more than 353 actuators produced by the company were delivered to Boeing since February 2017 that were impacted by the issue, according to the warning.
Another Blow to Boeing
This year, Boeing aircraft have been involved in several high-profile incidents, including when a Boeing 737 Max 9 passenger jet lost a rear door plug during a January flight. Subsequently, the FAA ordered the grounding of similar Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets for weeks.
In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge and pay at least $243.6 million after breaching a 2021 Justice Department agreement.
The planemaker also agreed to spend at least $455 million to boost safety and compliance programs, overseen by an independent monitor for three years.
Last week, FAA head Michael Whitaker told a House panel that safety culture improvements at Boeing may take three to five years to complete.
“It is not a six-month program; it is a three-year to five-year program,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said at a two-hour hearing, adding he has spoken to Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and the company’s board of directors about the need for safety culture reforms.
The agency administration said Boeing has made significant improvement in the short term. “On culture it is a long-term project … there is progress but they are not where they need to be,” he said.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Boeing machinists in Washington state and Oregon are still on strike after walking off the job on Sept. 13 in the union’s first strike since 2008, halting production of airplane models including the 737 Max.
The union is seeking a 40 percent pay rise and the restoration of a defined-benefit pension that was taken away in the contract a decade ago.
On Sept. 27, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said that its pay deal talks with Boeing had broken off and that there were no further dates scheduled for negotiations at this time.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
