AD/B737/250 Amdt 1 Forward Entry Door Forward and Aft Side Intercostals (Cth)

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE

On the effective date specified below, and for the reasons set out in the background section, the CASA delegate whose signature appears below revokes Airworthiness Directive (AD) AD/B737/250 and issues the following AD under subregulation 39.001(1) of CASR 1998.  The AD requires that the action set out in the requirement section (being action that the delegate considers necessary to correct the unsafe condition) be taken in relation to the aircraft or aeronautical product mentioned in the applicability section: (a) in the circumstances mentioned in the requirement section; and (b) in accordance with the instructions set out in the requirement section; and (c) at the time mentioned in the compliance section.

Boeing 737 Series Aeroplanes

AD/B737/250 Amdt 1 Forward Entry Door Forward
and Aft Side Intercostals 2/2008 DM

Applicability:

Model 737-100, -200, -200C, -300, -400, and -500 series aircraft; as identified in Boeing Special Attention Service Bulletin 737-53-1204 dated 19 June 2003, or later FAA approved revision.

Requirement:

Action in accordance with the technical requirements of FAA AD 2005-20-03 Amdt 39-14296.

Corrective actions (repairs and/or repeat inspections) that are approved on an FAA form 8100-9 and acceptable as an Alternate Method of Compliance (AMOC) to FAA AD 2005-20-03 paragraphs (l) and (m), may be carried out without the need to obtain an exclusion from CASA from this Airworthiness Directive.

Compliance:

As specified in the Requirement document.

This Amendment becomes effective on 14 January 2008.

Background:

The FAA received reports of fatigue cracks on several Model 737-200 series aircraft.  The actions required by this Directive are intended to detect and correct fatigue cracking of the intercostals on the forward and aft sides of the forward entry door, which could result in loss of the forward entry door and rapid depressurisation of the aircraft.

This amendment allows the automatic acceptance of repair schemes, without the need for an exclusion application to be forwarded to CASA, provided that the repair scheme is approved as an AMOC to FAA AD 2005-20-03 paragraphs (l) and (m) and is accompanied by an FAA form 8100-9.

The original issue of this AD became effective on 24 November 2005.

David Villiers
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority

19 December 2007