787 Dreamliner: Nosebleed after pilot maneuvers – Officials inspect hundreds of Boeing planes

Embattled US aircraft maker Boeing is again facing safety concerns. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Monday ordered the inspection of hundreds of 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

The FAA warned that inadvertent horizontal movement of an occupied pilot’s seat could cause the aircraft to descend rapidly and cause serious injury to passengers and crew. The decision comes after a Ladam Airlines plane suddenly dived in March, injuring more than 50 passengers. Boeing and Ladam Airlines did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

According to the FAA, the cause of the dive was uncontrolled movement of the captain’s seat, which caused the autopilot to disengage. The agency said it has received a total of five complaints of similar problems with captain and first officer seats on 787s, the most recent in June. Two of these cases are still under investigation.

The FAA’s order affects 158 U.S.-registered airlines and 737 worldwide. Airlines are required to inspect the pilot seats of 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10 models for missing or broken toggle switches or damaged switch covers within 30 days and replace them if necessary.

In a separate statement on Monday, Boeing said it was halting test flights on the not-yet-certified 777-9. During a maintenance check, a defective component was discovered between the engine and the airframe.

The FAA confirmed that Boeing reported the incident after a test flight of the 777-9 last week. Boeing began certification flights of the long-delayed 777-9 model in July.