Photo: Boeing.com
An unforeseen incident on board could lead to changes in more than two and a half thousand Boeing 737 aircraft,Business Insider reports . The reason was an incident when a passenger got stuck in the toilet during the flight due to a faulty door handle. The situation resulted in a forced landing.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has since issued a special safety directive covering the 2,612 Boeing aircraft registered in the United States. These are the following models: 737-700, 737-800, 737-900, 737-900ER, as well as the newer 737 Max 8 and Max 9.
“If a passenger becomes trapped in a toilet during an emergency, it could endanger their life or health,” the FAA document states.
According to the agency, the conductors were unable to open the door from the outside, which forced the pilots to make an unscheduled landing.
The FAA has identified four types of problematic door locks that can cause lockouts. The estimated cost of the upgrade is up to $3.4 million, including labour and new mechanisms, which can cost up to $481 per unit. Part of the cost may be covered by Boeing’s warranty.
There are more than 3,400 such aircraft in operation in the US, so potentially three quarters of them may need to have parts replaced.
The FAA has given airlines until 27 May to provide feedback on the directive.
