The USA’s aviation regulator will require airlines to replace overhead video monitors in Boeing 737NGs and 757s after the equipment detached during a hard landing.
Two proposed rules released by the Federal Aviation Administration on 16 January say video monitors, also known as passenger service units (PSUs), were jarred off overhead “rails during a hard landing that did not exceed the emergency load requirements”.
The FAA provides no further information about that incident.
Its proposed rule says Boeing already sought to address the problem by issuing Special Attention Requirements Bulletins to customers. It sent those to 737NG operators in December 2023 and to 757 customers in January 2024.
The bulletins call on airlines to replace “all PSU-mounted video monitors that do not have secondary retention lanyards” with those that do, and to ensure that the lanyards are secured to PSU rails.
The FAA’s proposed order would require airlines to complete those steps.
“PSU-mounted video monitors that become fully detached or are held at an unsafe height could result in injury to passengers and impede passenger and crew egress during emergency evacuation,” says the FAA.
The agency’s proposal, if finalised, would apply to 459 US-registered 737NGs of all variants, and to 85 757-200s and 757-300s. Those jets have overhead video monitors manufactured by two companies: Burrana and Panasonic.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
