U.S. Ordering Rudder Changes in Boeing 737s
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WASHINGTON — The government is ordering changes to the rudders of the popular Boeing 737 airliners in response to a pair of deadly accidents.
Vice President Al Gore, who announced the order Wednesday, said Boeing Co. has agreed to make the changes and bear most of the cost, with the airlines covering the rest.
Investigators have not determined the cause of the crashes in Colorado and Pennsylvania, but sudden rudder movement is suspected of causing the planes to roll and plunge. The Pennsylvania crash killed all 132 people aboard, and 25 died in the Colorado accident.
Gore announced the new directives at the conclusion of a three-day conference on aviation.
The planned changes to the rudder, the large movable tail section that helps the plane change direction, include:
* Redesign of the rudder power control unit to eliminate the possibility of the rudder jamming or making sudden movements not directed by the pilot.
* Replacement of the “yaw damper” mechanism that is supposed to prevent abrupt side-to-side movements of the airplane.
* Reduction of hydraulic pressure in the rudder control, also known as a rudder limiter, to reduce rudder movement and ease pilot control of the rudder.
* Installation of redesigned bolts on the rods that control rudder movement.
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