American Airlines has expanded inspections for loose seats to almost 50 of its Boeing 757s after finding improperly secured units on a second aircraft.
Two 757s made unplanned landings between Saturday and Monday because a row of seats on each aircraft became dislodged in midair.
Four additional aircraft had “improper fitting hardware” that over time “could have led to a dislodged seat,” an airline spokeswoman said. Any aircraft in need of repairs will be taken out of service, American said.
The US Federal Aviation Administration said the two aircraft that prompted the probe recently had seats removed and reinstalled.
The airline found improperly secured passenger seats on a total of six aircraft and attributed the problem to incorrectly installed clamps.
The carrier said yesterday that it had expanded its inspection to 47 aircraft overall “out of an abundance of caution”. Eleven aircraft are left to be checked over the next 24 hours, the Wall Street Journal reported.