NTSB: Missed Inspections Let Storm-Damaged Southwest 737 MAX Fly 44 Times Before Dutch Roll Accident

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX operated multiple flights after storm damage to its tail went undetected following a post-storm inspection. The undetected damage was later discovered after a Dutch roll event prompted an NTSB investigation.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is examining how the tail damage survived the post-storm check and how the aircraft subsequently passed a maintenance test that was intended to identify issues.

The incident involved a Dutch roll, an abnormal flight condition, which led to the formal safety investigation. Details about injuries, specific flight numbers, or exact timestamps are not provided in the material.

Investigators have stated that hidden structural damage from violent winds remained unnoticed for nine days, raising questions about inspection procedures and maintenance testing in the period following the storm.

The report emphasizes that the damage remained undetected during the period between the storm and the later events, but it does not specify the aircraft’s final outcome or the definitive cause beyond the missed inspection and subsequent test results.