NTSB: Missed Inspections Let Storm-Damaged Southwest 737 MAX Fly 44 Times
A Boeing 737 MAX operated 44 flights with undetected structural damage following a severe storm.
1Storm Damage Remains Undetected
In May 2024, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 sustained structural damage while parked at New Orleans International Airport during severe winds. The incident compromised the standby rudder power control unit's mounting structure. Because the damage was not externally visible, no immediate inspection was performed, allowing the aircraft to remain operational.
2Forty-Four Flights Without Inspection
Following the storm, the aircraft completed 38 flights before undergoing a scheduled maintenance check in Houston. Despite the structural compromise, the jet continued service for six additional flights. The total of 44 flights occurred while the rudder system was operating anomalously, posing a significant risk to the aircraft's stability during routine operations.
3Flawed Maintenance Hangar Procedures
During a scheduled maintenance check in Houston on May 23, mechanics failed to correctly perform a rudder movement test. Hangar footage revealed the rudder moved right but not left, yet the test was signed off as passed. No personnel were positioned at the rear of the aircraft to visually confirm the rudder's full range.
4Dutch Roll Mid-Air Incident
On May 25, the aircraft experienced a Dutch roll event while flying at 34,000 feet. This phenomenon involves coupled oscillations in the yaw and roll axes, making the plane difficult to control. The crew managed to land safely in Oakland, but subsequent inspections confirmed the damage to the standby rudder power control unit.
5Systemic Maintenance Oversight Issues
The NTSB investigation highlighted that Southwest lacked procedures for alerting maintenance control when parked aircraft experienced extreme winds. Furthermore, Boeing's maintenance manual at the time did not specify a wind speed threshold for mandatory inspections. These gaps in protocols allowed the damaged aircraft to return to service without proper safety verification.
6Yaw Damper Operational Failures
Before the Dutch roll event, the flight crew disconnected the yaw damper after it appeared to overcorrect during turbulence. The system was deferred under the minimum equipment list, and the jet flew another sector to Phoenix. It passed a functional test there, masking the underlying structural damage that caused the later instability.
7New Industry Inspection Thresholds
Boeing revised its 737 maintenance manual in May 2025, mandating inspections when ground winds reach 65 knots. This threshold is just below the 73-knot gusts recorded during the New Orleans storm. In comparison, Airbus maintains a higher inspection threshold of 80 knots for most of its aircraft fleet, reflecting different design and safety standards.
8Fleet-Wide Safety Corrective Actions
Following the incident, Southwest inspected all 231 of its 737 MAX aircraft between June 17 and 20, 2024, finding no similar damage. The airline now proactively monitors weather reports for winds exceeding 65 knots to trigger mandatory inspections. These measures aim to prevent future oversights regarding weather-related structural damage on parked aircraft.