Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 4, 2025)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 8876-8878]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-02143]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2024-1303; Project Identifier AD-2023-01252-T; 
Amendment 39-22933; AD 2025-01-09]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all 
The Boeing Company Model 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 airplanes. This AD 
was prompted by a report of operators receiving No. 1 flight 
compartment windows that may not meet type design requirements for 
withstanding a bird impact. This AD requires replacing affected No. 1 
flight compartment windows and prohibits the installation

[[Page 8877]]

of affected windows. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe 
condition on these products.

DATES: This AD is effective March 11, 2025.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of March 11, 
2025.

ADDRESSES: 
    AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under 
Docket No. FAA-2024-1303; or in person at Docket Operations between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD 
docket contains this final rule, any comments received, and other 
information. The address for Docket Operations is U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
    Material Incorporated by Reference:
    <bullet> For Boeing material identified in this AD, contact Boeing 
Commercial Airplanes, Attention: Contractual & Data Services (C&DS), 
2600 Westminster Blvd., MC 110-SK57, Seal Beach, CA 90740-5600; 
telephone 562-797-1717; website myboeingfleet.com.
    <bullet> You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness 
Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des 
Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this material at the 
FAA, call 206-231-3195. It is also available at regulations.gov under 
Docket No. FAA-2024-1303.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph Hodgin, Aviation Safety 
Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; phone: 206-
231-3962; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 
CFR part 39 by adding an AD that would apply to all The Boeing Company 
Model 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 airplanes. The NPRM published in the 
Federal Register on May 20, 2024 (89 FR 43794). The NPRM was prompted 
by a report of operators receiving No. 1 flight compartment windows 
that may not meet type design requirements for withstanding a bird 
impact. In the NPRM, the FAA proposed to require replacing affected No. 
1 flight compartment windows and prohibit the installation of affected 
windows. The FAA is issuing this AD to prevent a window from spalling 
in the event of a high-energy bird impact. The unsafe condition, if not 
addressed, could result in injuries to crew that may affect continued 
safe flight and landing.

Discussion of Final Airworthiness Directive

Comments

    The FAA received comments from three commenters, Air Line Pilots 
Association, International (ALPA), Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and 
United Airlines, who supported the NPRM without change.

Conclusion

    The FAA reviewed the relevant data, considered any comments 
received, and determined that air safety requires adopting this AD as 
proposed. Accordingly, the FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe 
condition on these products. Except for minor editorial changes, this 
AD is adopted as proposed in the NPRM. None of the changes will 
increase the economic burden on any operator.

Material Incorporated by Reference Under 1 CFR Part 51

    The FAA reviewed Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-
SB560010-00 RB, Issue 001, dated December 13, 2023. This material 
specifies procedures for determining whether a left or right No. 1 
flight compartment window with certain part numbers and serial numbers 
is installed and for replacing any window that has an affected part 
number and serial number.
    This material is reasonably available because the interested 
parties have access to it through their normal course of business or by 
the means identified in the ADDRESSES section.

Costs of Compliance

    The FAA estimates that this AD affects 152 airplanes of U.S. 
registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD:

                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Cost per      Cost on U.S.
                Action                         Labor cost           Parts cost       airplane        operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inspect right and left No. 1 windows..  0.25 work-hour x $85 per              $0          $21.25          $3,230
                                         hour = $21.25.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FAA estimates the following costs to do any replacement that 
would be required based on the results of the inspection. The agency 
has no way of determining the number of airplanes that might need these 
replacements or how many replacements each airplane may require:

                                               On-Condition Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Action                            Labor cost           Parts cost       Cost per airplane
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Replace No. 1 window.....................  16 work-hours x $85 per         $104,060  $105,420 per window.
                                            hour = $1,360.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Authority for This Rulemaking

    Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA's authority to 
issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, section 106, describes the 
authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII: Aviation Programs, 
describes in more detail the scope of the Agency's authority.
    The FAA is issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in 
Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701: General requirements. 
Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with promoting safe flight 
of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing regulations for 
practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator finds necessary 
for safety in air commerce. This regulation is within the scope of that 
authority because it addresses an unsafe condition that is likely to 
exist or develop on products identified in this rulemaking action.

[[Page 8878]]

Regulatory Findings

    This AD will not have federalism implications under Executive Order 
13132. This AD will not have a substantial direct effect on the States, 
on the relationship between the national government and the States, or 
on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various 
levels of government.
    For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this AD:
    (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive 
Order 12866,
    (2) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and
    (3) Will not have a significant economic impact, positive or 
negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria 
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

    Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by 
reference, Safety.

The Amendment

    Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the FAA amends 14 CFR part 39 as follows:

PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

0
1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.


Sec.  39.13  [Amended]

0
2. The FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness 
directive:

2025-01-09 The Boeing Company: Amendment 39-22933; Docket No. FAA-
2024-1303; Project Identifier AD-2023-01252-T.

(a) Effective Date

    This airworthiness directive (AD) is effective March 11, 2025.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to all The Boeing Company Model 787-8, 787-9, 
and 787-10 airplanes, certificated in any category.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 56, Windows.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by a report that certain No.1 flight 
compartment windows may not meet type design requirements for 
withstanding a bird impact due to the elimination of a witness test 
specimen and process changes that affect main bondline strength. The 
FAA is issuing this AD to prevent a window from spalling in the 
event of a high-energy bird impact. The unsafe condition, if not 
addressed, could result in injuries to crew that may affect 
continued safe flight and landing.

(f) Compliance

    Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, 
unless already done.

(g) Required Actions

    For airplanes identified in Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 
B787-81205-SB560010-00 RB, Issue 001, dated December 13, 2023: 
Except as specified in paragraph (h) of this AD, at the applicable 
times specified in the ``Compliance'' paragraph of Boeing Alert 
Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-SB560010-00 RB, Issue 001, dated 
December 13, 2023, do all applicable actions identified in, and in 
accordance with, the Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing Alert 
Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-SB560010-00 RB, Issue 001, dated 
December 13, 2023.
    Note 1 to paragraph (g): Guidance for accomplishing the actions 
required by this AD can be found in Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 
B787-81205-SB560010-00, Issue 001, dated December 13, 2023, which is 
referred to in Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-
SB560010-00 RB, Issue 001, dated December 13, 2023.

(h) Exceptions to Service Information Specifications

    Where the ``Boeing Recommended Compliance Time'' column in the 
tables under the ``Compliance'' paragraph of Boeing Alert 
Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-SB560010-00 RB, Issue 001, dated 
December 13, 2023, uses the phrase ``the Issue 001 date of the 
Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-SB560010-00 RB,'' this AD requires 
using the effective date of this AD.

(i) Parts Installation Prohibition

    As of the effective date of this AD, do not install on any 
airplane a No. 1 flight compartment window part number 190800-11, -
12, -13, -14, -15, -16, -19, or -20, with a serial number listed in 
Appendix A of Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-
SB560010-00 RB, Issue 001, dated December 13, 2023.

(j) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (1) The Manager, AIR-520, Continued Operational Safety Branch, 
FAA, has the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested 
using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. In accordance with 14 
CFR 39.19, send your request to your principal inspector or 
responsible Flight Standards Office, as appropriate. If sending 
information directly to the manager of the certification office, 
send it to the attention of the person identified in paragraph 
(k)(1) of this AD. Information may be emailed to: [email protected].
    (2) Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate 
principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager 
of the responsible Flight Standards Office.
    (3) An AMOC that provides an acceptable level of safety may be 
used for any repair, modification, or alteration required by this AD 
if it is approved by The Boeing Company Organization Designation 
Authorization (ODA) that has been authorized by the Manager, AIR-
520, Continued Operational Safety Branch, FAA, to make those 
findings. To be approved, the repair method, modification deviation, 
or alteration deviation must meet the certification basis of the 
airplane, and the approval must specifically refer to this AD.

(k) Related Information

    (1) For more information about this AD, contact Joseph Hodgin, 
Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 
98198; phone: 206-231-3962; email: [email protected].
    (2) Material identified in this AD that is not incorporated by 
reference is available at the address specified in paragraphs (l)(3) 
of this AD.

(l) Material Incorporated by Reference

    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference of the material listed in this paragraph 
under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) You must use this material as applicable to do the actions 
required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
    (i) Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-SB560010-00 
RB, Issue 001, dated December 13, 2023.
    (ii) [Reserved]
    (3) For the material identified in this AD, contact Boeing 
Commercial Airplanes, Attention: Contractual & Data Services (C&DS), 
2600 Westminster Blvd., MC 110-SK57, Seal Beach, CA 90740-5600; 
telephone 562-797-1717; website myboeingfleet.com.
    (4) You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness 
Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th St., 
Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this material 
at the FAA, call 206-231-3195.
    (5) You may view this material at the National Archives and 
Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability 
of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations or email [email protected].

    Issued on January 13, 2025.
Suzanne Masterson,
Deputy Director, Integrated Certificate Management Division, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-02143 Filed 2-3-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

The complete text was extracted from the official GovInfo HTML edition for this publication. Acquired 2026-09-08T07:42:05.572985+00:00. Text extraction preserves the recorded source wording; it does not determine current requirements.

Open the captured official edition

Source SHA-256

9fd9855b5120d831f8e24d91756c4a2fddf62cc1c1d64f1a01295e3d7151d794

Text SHA-256

9e09791e5ce5dbb3661b7175b6ea17984fe22e4d9d82f8e83debcd4c265bbf71