Transportation
Southwest ‘Dutch Roll’ Occurred After Plane Maintenance, NTSB Says
- Investigators still probing when rudder system damage occurred
- FAA also examining incident, which happened at 34,000 feet
A Dutch roll involves the plane’s tail rocking from side to side.
Photographer: Angus Mordant/BloombergA Southwest Airlines Co. plane that experienced an unusual rolling motion several times during a May flight had undergone regularly scheduled maintenance work two days earlier, US safety investigators said Tuesday.
After the May 25 event, a Southwest maintenance crew found structural damage to the plane’s rudder system. The National Transportation Safety Board said it’s still trying to determine when that damage occurred, according to a preliminary report by the agency.