Federal Aviation Administration January 4, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to all Airbus Model A330, A340-200, and A340-300 series airplanes. That AD currently requires repetitive inspections of a certain bracket that attaches the flight deck instrument panel to the airplane structure; replacement of the bracket with a new, improved bracket; and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This new AD requires replacement of the existing bracket with a titanium-reinforced bracket, which ends the repetitive inspections in the existing AD. This AD also requires related investigative and corrective actions while accomplishing the replacement, and reduces the applicability in the existing AD. This AD results from a report of cracking damage found on certain brackets that were replaced per the requirements in the existing AD. We are issuing this AD to prevent a cracked bracket. Failure of this bracket, combined with failure of the horizontal beam, could result in collapse of the left part of the flight deck instrument panel, and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing Model 737-200, -300, -400, and -500 series airplanes. This AD requires a one-time inspection of the frames between station 360 and station 907 to determine if a subject support bracket for the air conditioning outlet extrusion is installed, and related repetitive investigative actions and repair if necessary. This AD also provides an optional preventive modification that ends the repetitive investigative actions. This AD also requires a one-time post-modification/repair inspection for cracking of each repaired/modified frame. This AD results from numerous reports indicating that frame cracks have been found at the attachment holes for support brackets for the air conditioning outlet extrusion. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct such cracking, which, if the cracking were to continue to grow, could result in a severed frame. A severed frame, combined with existing multi-site damage at the stringer 10 lap splice, could result in rapid decompression of the airplane.