AD/B737/300 Amdt 1 Fuselage Frame Air Conditioning Bracket Attachments (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/B737/300 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/B737/300 Amdt 1 Fuselage Frame Air Conditioning
Bracket Attachments 13/2010

Applicability:

Model 737-200, -300, -400, and -500 series aircraft; as identified in Boeing Special Attention Service Bulletin 737-53-1216 Revision 1, or later FAA approved revision.

Requirement:

Action in accordance with the technical requirements of FAA AD 2006-26-09 Amdt 39-14867.

Corrective actions (repairs) that are on an FAA form 8100-9 and approved by the Manager, Seattle Aircraft Certification Office or an Authorised representative, as defined in paragraph (m)(2) of FAA AD 2006-26-09, as an Alternative Method of Compliance (AMOC) to the requirements of FAA AD 2006-26-09 Amdt 39-14867, may be carried out without the need to obtain an exclusion from CASA from this airworthiness directive.

Compliance:

The compliance time remains unchanged which was as specified in the Requirement document, with a revised effective date of 15 March 2007.

This Amendment becomes effective on 25 June 2010.

Background:

The FAA received numerous reports of fuselage frame cracks detected at the attachment holes for support brackets for the air conditioning outlet extrusion.  Such cracking, unless detected and corrected, could continue to grow and 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 aircraft.

Amendment 1 allows the use of FAA approved AMOCs without the need to obtain an exclusion from CASA.

Mike Higgins
Delegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority

22 June 2010