FAA Orders Inspections of Boeing 737s

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered airlines to inspect hundreds of Boeing 737s after a loose bolt punctured a China Airlines jet last week, causing a fire that destroyed the aircraft. Southwest, Delta, Continental, AirTran, Alaska Air, ATA and Aloha Airlines have 24 days to check for loose nuts on a wing assembly used during takeoff and landing.

Boeing issued a "service letter" warning about the loose nuts in 2005 after receiving four reports of the problem and determining it could cause a fuel leak, but such letters don't require any action. The Chinese Airline plane caught fire after it landed in Okinawa. All 165 people aboard were evacuated safely. "We and Boeing are still assessing the situation," said an FAA spokesman. (More FAA stories.)