Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes
Key claim: The FAA is requiring operators of certain Boeing 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 airplanes to repeatedly inspect wing-body splice parts for fatigue cracks from manufacturing errors and to fix any cracks found.
Abstract
(Rule · Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration) The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a Boeing investigation for manufacturing errors and excessive preload forces at the lower side of body (SOB) splice plates common to the lower outboard wing skins. That investigation concluded that shim gaps may have exceeded engineering allowances, and high pull up forces on the components may cause fatigue cracks to form at the fastener holes. This AD requires, depending on configuration, repetitive ultrasonic (UT) inspections at certain splice plates, rear spar terminal fittings, lower chords, front spar terminal fittings, and jack pads for any cracks; repetitive detailed inspections (DET) of certain splice plates for any cracks; and applicable on-condition actions. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
Why this matters
This AD adds another 787-family inspection burden tied to a manufacturing-quality escape, reinforcing an ongoing pattern of Boeing production-defect ADs that operators must incorporate into maintenance programs. The practical effect is recurring wing-body splice inspections across a large in-service fleet, with fleet-wide cost and scheduling implications until a terminating action is developed.