The Federal Aviation Administration ordered that operators of Boeing Co.’s 787 Dreamliner inspect the jet’s cockpit seats after a surge in reports of unintended movements disrupting flights.
Boeing warned operators in March that a switch located on the back of the pilot’s seats that activates a motor to move them up and back could possibly become stuck if the mechanism is loose or damaged. The announcement followed an incident in March in which a Latam Airlines Group SA flight took a nosedive after a cockpit seat reportedly moved, throwing the pilot into the plane’s control column. Dozens of people were injured as a result of the accident.
“The FAA has received, with increasing frequency since March 2024, reports of uncommanded horizontal movement of the captain’s or first officer’s seat, when occupied,” the regulator said in a filing Monday. Because of the “risk to the flying public,” the FAA said it decided to issue the so-called airworthiness directive as a final rule, rather than proposing it first.
“Uncommanded horizontal seat movements can cause onboard disturbances due to unintended and abrupt flight control inputs, which can result in a rapid descent of the aircraft and serious injury to passengers and crew,” the FAA said.
The directive affects 158 US-registered aircraft. The regulator said it has received five reports of seat movements, the most recent of which occurred in June.
“We fully support the FAA’s airworthiness directive that makes a supplier’s guidance mandatory for 787 operators,” Boeing said in an email.
With help from Danny Lee.
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