Russian authorities suspend airworthiness certificate for Boeing 737s

Russian civil aviation authorities have issued a letter suspending the airworthiness certificate for all Boeing-737 aircraft in Russia, according to government-owned Russian news agency TASS.

However, according to TASS, Russian airlines are allowing 737s to continue to fly “until receipt of an official instruction.”

Russian authorities suspend airworthiness certificate for Boeing 737s

So this is odd. I don't believe there is some massive record of 737s crashes is there? Why would Russia suspend that particular Boeing from flying? Is there some majorly inherent issue with it that Russia just found out or is there something else going on?

I am not up on the aviation industry so I am hoping someone like Zaph may be able to come along and shed some light here.

Even Boeing has no idea why...

Boeing spokesman Doug Alder said Thursday that the company is aware of what’s happening but doesn’t know the reason for the suspension.

“We’re looking into it,” said Alder.

Without knowing specifically why they suspended airworthiness, its remains open to conjecture.

a reply to: Vasa Croe
Appears related to this, where several accidents were linked to a malfunction of the rudder control mechanisms.

It was either a smuggled bomb or bad maintenance on plane that caused the crash.

Russian Airlines are notorious for being lax and keeping bad maintenance and crossing the red lines in many operational issues.

That is the culture infact and even airlines are spared from such careless indulgences.

originally posted by: paradoxious
a reply to: Vasa Croe
Appears related to this, where several accidents were linked to a malfunction of the rudder control mechanisms.

It also says that the FAA ordered an upgrade of all Boeing 737s back in 2002. Would that have applied to Russia as well, or only in the US?

Makes me wonder if another plane went down and they are covering it up because of all the stink of the most recent crash.

There were two that suffered landing gear collapses on landing in the last week. Both different models. The rudder reversal issue was resolved several years ago and hasn't happened since that I've heard.

The only 737 accident they've had in Russia recently was Tartarstan 363, but everything I've seen concluded pilot error was the cause.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
There were two that suffered landing gear collapses on landing in the last week. Both different models. The rudder reversal issue was resolved several years ago and hasn't happened since that I've heard.

Thanks! I figured you would know something. So two in a week would be enough to ground the entire lot of them?

a reply to: Vasa Croe

It depends. Worldwide, no. Country specific possibly. I'll keep looking and get some other people digging and see exactly what's going on. It doesn't make sense they'd have rudder issues now unless they didn't upgrade their aircraft as required.

The tass.ru article states:

"IAC Air Register as the authorized agency in airworthiness standardization and type certification has to suspend all type certificates for Boeing-737 family aircraft issued by it in the course of validation until receipt of a joint notice of the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency and the US Federal Aviation Administration that Boeing-737 type aircraft operating in Russia are in condition supporting their safe operation," IAC said in the letter.

IAC letter signed by the Air Register Chairman Vladimir Bespalov says Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency was in correspondence with the relevant US authority concerning urgent improvements of Boeing-737 aircraft rudder control system.

So it appears the rudder control system might be involved, at least as a mechanism to validate the airworthiness of the airplanes.

a reply to: paradoxious

Which is odd. There was an AD sent out several years ago about the rudder problems and what to look for, replace. It went through Boeing to all relevant authorities and operators. I haven't heard of a single incident since then. They weren't common before then either. So unless Russia didn't bother to follow the AD they shouldn't be seeing rudder issues.

a reply to: Zaphod58

You probably hit the nail on the head.

I bet they are just now getting around to it.

a reply to: grey580

I'm actually wondering if they're trying to blame Tatarstan 363 on the rudder and not pilot error after all.

This might turn out to be about politics, not safety.

a reply to: Ivar_Karlsen

Yeah, that's what I was thinking too.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

The last AD related to the rudder was February 2009. It was related to the pedals and springs.

The last incident that had anything to do with the rudder was N18611 in December 2008 in Denver. It departed the side of the runway on takeoff at 90 knots, and caught fire. The rudder was ineffectual at steering it back onto the runway.

This almost has to be political.

The Russians are always crashing planes, and is possibly the most dangerous place on earth to use a commercial airline.

Once had a lady friend from Seversk, told me to never fly into Tomsk, better to use the train, as they were always crashing planes

I figured it was better to stay out of Russia

a reply to: Zaphod58

Is this the same rudder issue that supposedly caused the crash of US Air flight 427?

a reply to: JIMC5499

The 09 AD, no. It was related to the Denver takeoff accident where the rudder was ineffective, possibly through either a broken spring, or steering cable. The AD required inspection of the springs and pedal movement.

originally posted by: paradoxious
So it appears the rudder control system might be involved, at least as a mechanism to validate the airworthiness of the airplanes.

Correct me, if I'm wrong ... but wasn't it this issue, that was related to mobile phone activity? That was the original cause to mobile phones must be shut off, during flight? That they interfered with the internal system of the plane ... it really doesn't do it anymore, but still is required to be shut off for safety reasons (for all the reasons we can't think of, so to speak). Is it possible, that somebody knew the Russian planes weren't upgraded, and caused an accident?

Just a thought.

a reply to: bjarneorn

No. The rudder PCU was causing a hard over event. It was caused by several factors, but phones didn't play a role.

The only accident that may have been caused by a phone was in Europe, prior to these accidents.