Boeing 767s are typically known to be among the safest planes today, and are the most popular planes in the air. The plane’s reputation may be sparkling, but the Federal Aviation Administration is taking no chances.

The organization is ordering inspections of all Boeing 767s.

According to a notice submitted by the FAA to the Federal Register this past Monday, there is concern over a potential problem with the rivets in moveable tail sections. Errors here could impact the plane’s ability to climb or descend safely. Not only that, the issues with the rivets could potentially result in a loss of control of the plane.

The FAA is said to have first made a note of the concern back in 2000. The issue came up when U.S regulators stepped up inspection details in an effort to be more thorough.

The request is seen as unusual to the point of unnecessary by some due to a lack of previously known errors or crashes related to the rivets in question on Boeing 767s.

No worries; "airlines have six years to fix any problems" >> FAA to order safety checks on Boeing 767 elevators @WSJ http://t.co/uC23xKONQ1

— Robert W. Mann, Jr. (@RWMann) January 27, 2014

Getting ready to depart & this pilot isn't turning his IPad off at all. Nice try, FAA. not falling for your tricks http://t.co/Z2E0gHjLn7

— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) January 27, 2014

Some airlines have outright objected, saying that the safety demands of the FAA had been met in previous inspections. Despite the pushback, the FAA is unmoved. It has given the order, which will go into effect on March 3rd of this year. Afterwards, airlines have a window of 6 years with which to comply.

The actual upgrade has been around for several years, as Boeing had already designed a permanent fix to the potential problem. Many airlines have already replaced the parts in question. It’s expected that the order will affect roughly 400 jets.

As for Boeing, the company said in a statement that dealing with safety issues would be “an ongoing and continuous process” and that it was working closely with the FAA.

Do you think the FAA is nitpicking or is this a necessary upgrade?

Image via Wikimedia Commons