Cracking Down

When the seats shudder and the wings flutter and the engines crescendo in what sounds like a last and mighty effort to lift off, what traveler has not wondered nervously whether the plane should be retired? America's aging fleet of passenger jets became a national concern last April when a 19-year-old Aloha Airlines 737 ripped apart in midair. Since then, cracks have been found in the fuselage of some of the other 429 Boeing 737-100s and 737-200s still flying in the U.S., giving rise to fears that regular inspections are not enough to ensure safe flights.

Last week the Federal Aviation Administration proposed a rule requiring airlines to shore up their older 737s by replacing the 7,200 rivets on each plane's fuselage. "It's time to fix design weaknesses rather than continuing to inspect for flaws," said Anthony Broderick of the FAA. "It is a fundamental shift in our way of operating." Safety experts predicted that the ruling would eventually be extended to other aircraft that are 25 years old or older.