FAA Issues Safety Alert For Defective Wiring on Boeing 737 Aircraft

The FAA has issued a Safety Alert regarding defectively installed wiring on certain 737 aircraft. The alert, issued on May 8, 2013, states that at least three aircraft have experienced serious chafing, arcing and smoking due to an improperly installed wire clamp in the flight deck overhead wiring. Additionally, one plane actually caught on fire.

Of great concern is that all three of these events happened on scheduled flights with passengers aboard, and one of the events happened in flight! The other two happened at the gate. It does not appear that anyone was hurt in these incidents, but the potential for catastrophe is obvious.