Boeing advises airlines to inspect 737 Max planes to look for 'possible loose bolt'

After an international airline discovered a bolt with a missing nut while performing routine maintenance of a Boeing 737 Max, the airplane maker is urging airlines to inspect its 737 Max commercial airplanes for a possible loose bolt in the rudder control system, the Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday.

"The FAA is closely monitoring targeted inspections of Boeing 737 Max airplanes to look for a possible loose bolt in the rudder control system," a news release from the FAA said.

Boeing also discovered a nut that was not properly tightened in an aircraft that had not yet been delivered, according to the FAA.

No damages have been reported so far and Boeing said that the advisory was issued out of an abundance of caution.

"The issue identified on the particular airplane has been remedied," the statement from Boeing said. "Out of an abundance of caution, we are recommending operators inspect their 737 Max airplanes and inform us of any findings. We informed the FAA and our customers and will continue to keep them aware of the progress."

The aircraft manufacturer said that the inspection is not particularly difficult and involves removing an access panel and visually validating proper installation. The entire process could take approximately two hours per airplane, said Boeing.

Boeing further said that they are not expecting any "significant impact to our operations" and that all aircrafts are being inspected prior to delivery.

Boeing added that there have been no in-service incidents caused by the condition.

FAA said that it will "consider additional action based on any further discovery of loose or missing hardware".

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What airlines fly Boeing 737 Max airplanes?

Major American airlines, including United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, operate Boeing's 737 Max, a single-aisle workhorse aircraft built for short and intermediate distances.

All of the airlines told USA TODAY Friday that they do not expect any impact to their operations.

Alaska Airlines added that they began inspections on Thursday and expect them to be completed in the first half of January. Southwest Airlines is currently conducting inspections of the Max aircrafts in their fleet during routine overnight maintenance. And American Airlines noted their team will complete the recommended inspections but did not give a specific timeline.

Boeing 737 Max airplanes grounded in 2019

In March 2019, the Boeing 737 Max was grounded in the United States following two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia within a span of 5 months which killed a total of 346 people.

It was cleared to fly again in late 2020 by the FAA after Boeing made changes to the plane, including to M.C.A.S., the flight control system behind the crashes, according to the NYT.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FAA: Boeing 737 Max planes should be inspected for 'loose bolt'