The US aviation regulator has ordered inspections of the fuselages of Boeing 737 Max planes for possible cracks in a component.

The Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness directive will affect an estimated 471 aircraft and follows reports of cracks in earlier Boeing models.

The inspections, which will start from September, follow a similar FAA regime for previous Boeing 737 Next Generation models dating back to 2021.

Cracks were found in a component called the bear strap – sheets supporting the fuselage around the exit doors – on the older planes. The FAA said on Thursday that no such cracks have yet been found in 737 Max craft but that the similar design and build process makes the model susceptible to developing them.

It added that without action it could “lead to the inability of a principal structural element to sustain limit loads and adversely affect the structural integrity of the airplane”.

A Boeing spokesperson said that it had been working with airlines operating 737s for several years, after first identifying and notifying them of the issue in 2019.

“The FAA airworthiness directive published today mandates the inspections, as it did for the 737 Next Generation,” they said on Thursday. “We support both directives and continue to support our airline customers.”

Boeing added that the inspections would provide multiple opportunities to identify and correct problems before any cracks exceed critical length, and it was working through engineering changes to tackle the cause.

Attention on engineering problems on Boeing planes has intensified since the disastrous entry into service of the 737 Max model, whose flaws led to the deaths of hundreds of passengers in two crashes in 2018 and 2019 before it was grounded worldwide.

In 2024 a panel blew out of a 737 Max in mid-flight for Alaska Airlines, and concerns about production problems led to Ryanair, its biggest customer for the model, sending engineers to Boeing’s US factories to help to oversee the delivery of the planes it had ordered.

Six minutes into J.H. Rose vs. Rolesville, the second game of a five-game slate on Saturday, the HighSchoolOT Jamboree at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park was postponed to Monday, Aug. 10, due to inclement weather.

Game 1 on Saturday evening between Hunt and Union Pines was completed with the Warriors winning, 14-8. The second game had only just begun when a 30-minute thunder delay was put in place. This wasn’t the first weather-related delay on Saturday. Game 1 experienced an extended halftime because of a weather delay related to heat.

Ultimately, the second weather delay proved to be the final. With lingering thunderstorms, the event was delayed. The games will still be held at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on Monday.

There were still four games left to finish in the jamboree: J.H. Rose vs. #19 Rolesville, #9 Southeast Raleigh vs. #22 Wake Forest, #17 Cardinal Gibbons vs. #4 Millbrook, and #25 Southern Durham vs. Middle Creek. Those games were originally slated to begin every hour from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. on Saturday.

As it stands, Middle Creek and Southern Durham will play at 6 p.m. on Monday, Cardinal Gibbons and Millbrook will play at 7 p.m., and Southeast Raleigh will make up its game with Wake Forest at 8 p.m.  

J.H. Rose and #19 Rolesville will not finish their game that began Saturday. The Rams are open to finding a scrimmage, but nothing is set.

Tickets already purchased for the event on Saturday will be honored on Monday. For those that still have not purchased tickets and need them for Monday, fans and families can buy tickets at the gate.

Originally, there were JV games scheduled to be played in conjunction with the varsity games. The only JV contest that will be made up is Middle Creek vs. Southern Durham. That game will be held in conjunction with the varsity game on a separate field.

HighSchoolOT has a second jamboree scheduled for next Friday, Aug. 14, at Wake Forest High School. 

The event is brought to you by the United States Army, Wake Orthopaedics, and Talk it Out NC. 99.9 The Fan FM, the Triangle’s sports leader, will broadcast from the event, and personalities Tim Donnelly and Dennis Cox will be performing the coin toss.

Scrimmages will start at 6:00 p.m. in Trentini Stadium on Aug. 14. Tickets are $15 (pre-sale) and $20 (day-of). There will be separate entrances on the home and roadsides. Parking is free. Concessions will be available. There is a strict clear bag policy in effect, and all fans must pass through security.

BEIRUT (AP) — A sanctioned tanker carrying nearly 1 million barrels of oil appears to have become further submerged in waters off the coast of Oman where it has been grounded for several weeks, satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press show.

Crude oil has been leaking and spreading quickly in recent days from the Caroline Bezengi and has reached the shores of Qibliyah Island, off Oman’s southwest coast.

As of Aug. 7, a spill of oil sheen covered nearly 800 square kilometers (309 square miles), according to Wim Zwijnenburg, an environmental expert for PAX, a Dutch organization that tracks environment in conflicts.

Greenpeace Germany, which has also been monitoring the situation, said the spill is increasing, indicating deterioration of the vessel’s condition.

“Satellite imagery analysis suggests that the oil spill covered 45 square kilometers (17 square miles) up until July 26. By Aug. 2, it had expanded to around 150 square kilometers (58 square miles), and imagery from Aug. 4 indicates that it now extends across roughly 600 square kilometers (232 square miles),” said Nina Noelle, an environmental disaster expert at Greenpeace Germany.

On Saturday, Zwijnenburg said the oil sheen was barely visible in new satellite images and appeared to have been diluted and dispersed by weather conditions.

Spill threatens protected wildlife area

The affected area is part of the Arabian Sea reserve, a marine protected area and host to endangered wildlife, including petrels and the rare Arabian Sea humpback whale.

The 247-meter (899-foot) Caroline Bezengi has been grounded off Qibliyah Island in southwest Oman after its crew reported an explosion on board on June 8, according to media reports.

The vessel is believed to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” and has been sanctioned by the British government and the European Union for carrying cargoes of Russian oil. It had left the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, in Russia, in May, according to geospatial data tracking company SynMax Maritime.

The vessel’s owners are believed to be Shanghai-based, according to Greenpeace and other reports.

The latest satellite images, dated Aug. 5, appear to show an oil sheen trailing northeast of the tanker, aground off the rocky coastline, and surrounding the island. In the images, the vessel appears to be partly submerged, noticeably more so than on a photo taken on July 31.

July and August are peak monsoon season in the area.

Status of rescue or salvage efforts are unclear

On Thursday, Oman’s government said it was responding to the incident. It was not immediately clear if the authorities have reached the tanker and whether there are efforts to salvage it or stop the leaking crude oil.

The statement published by the Oman News Agency said authorities were observing the area through satellite images, field surveys and technical models. It said teams were ready “to implement necessary procedures” to handle potential impacts on marine life and navigation safety in the area.