Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 150 (Thursday, August 6, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 50698-50701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-15936]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2025-3985; Project Identifier AD-2025-00493-T; 
Amendment 39-23423; AD 2026-15-11]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for 
certain The Boeing Company Model 737-8, 737-9, and 737-8200 airplanes. 
This AD was prompted by reports of cracks in the bear strap at the 
forward upper

[[Page 50699]]

corner of the forward galley door cutout. This AD requires an 
inspection of the fuselage skin for existing repairs and applicable on-
condition actions. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe 
condition on these products.

DATES: This AD is effective September 10, 2026.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of September 
10, 2026.

ADDRESSES: 
    AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under 
Docket No. FAA-2025-3985; 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-2025-3985.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Luis Cortez-Muniz, Aviation Safety 
Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; phone: 206-
231-3958; 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 certain The Boeing 
Company Model 737-8, 737-9, and 737-8200 airplanes. The NPRM was 
published in the Federal Register on November 25, 2025 (90 FR 53245). 
The NPRM was prompted by reports of cracks in the bear strap at the 
forward upper corner of the forward galley door cutout. In the NPRM, 
the FAA proposed to require an inspection of the fuselage skin for 
existing repairs and applicable on-condition actions. The FAA is 
issuing this AD to address cracks in the fuselage skin and bear strap, 
which may lead to the inability of the principal structural element to 
sustain limit loads and adversely affect the structural integrity of 
the airplane.

Discussion of Final Airworthiness Directive

Comments

    The FAA received comments from The Boeing Company who supported the 
NPRM without change.
    The FAA received additional comments from two commenters, including 
The Foundation for Aviation Safety and United Airlines (United). The 
following presents the comments received on the NPRM and the FAA's 
response to each comment.

Request To Explain How the Root Cause Is Addressed

    The Foundation for Aviation Safety asked what the FAA and Boeing 
are doing to address the root cause of the defect. The commenter also 
asked if a structural defect is important enough to immediately ground 
an airplane after it is detected, why is the inspection for defects not 
accomplished long before the proposed compliance time.
    The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on in-
service airplanes. The required compliance times for the initial 
inspection and on-condition repetitive inspections and repair were 
established to ensure any crack is detected and repaired before the 
crack reaches critical length with multiple opportunities for 
detection. The rulemaking timeline was based on Boeing 737 fleet 
findings, supporting analysis, and the severity of the effect on the 
airplane (i.e., safety consequences) if cracking propagates beyond a 
critical length. The FAA determined that the required actions and 
compliance times provide an acceptable level of safety. In addition, 
Boeing is introducing changes to the manufacturing process that address 
the root cause of the unsafe condition on in-production airplanes.

Request To Clarify Whether Certain Repairs Apply to Condition 1

    United stated that Table 1, Condition 1 of the Accomplishment 
Instructions of Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 737-53A1408 RB, 
dated December 20, 2024, specifies to contact Boeing for alternative 
inspection instructions for any repair found during the general visual 
inspection of the fuselage skin. The commenter noted that Boeing Alert 
Service Bulletin 737-53A1408, dated December 20, 2024, does not provide 
guidance for repairs accomplished per the structural repair manual 
(SRM) limits in 737-8 and 737-9 SRM 53-00-01, for fuselage skin blend 
out and bear strap blend out repair. United requested clarification on 
whether repairs performed within allowable damage limits should be 
considered ``repairs found'' for the purposes of Table 1, or if such 
repairs may be treated as unrepaired areas, ``no repair found.''
    The FAA notes that Condition 1 applies to any repair, which 
includes blend out repairs accomplished per the SRM within the 
allowable damage limits. Such blend out repairs need to be evaluated to 
determine whether the repetitive inspection interval specified in the 
service information provides an acceptable level of safety for those 
repairs. Depending on findings, it may be necessary to reduce the 
inspection interval. The FAA has not changed this AD in response to 
this comment.

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, and 
any other changes described previously, 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 737-53A1408 RB, 
dated December 20, 2024. This material specifies procedures for an 
external general visual inspection of the fuselage skin for any repair 
and applicable on-condition actions. On-condition actions include 
repetitive detailed inspection for cracking of the fuselage skin; 
repetitive external surface high frequency eddy current (HFEC) 
inspections of the fuselage skin at certain fastener locations and the 
fuselage skin and bear strap along the edge of door corner radius for 
cracking; repetitive external subsurface low frequency eddy current 
(LFEC) inspection of the bear strap at certain fastener locations for 
cracking; and obtaining instructions from Boeing for alternative 
inspections or for crack repair.
    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 471 airplanes of U.S. 
registry.

[[Page 50700]]

The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD:

                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                 Cost on U.S.
              Action                    Labor cost        Parts cost     Cost per product         operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
External general visual            1 work-hour x $85              $0  $85..................  $40,035.
 inspection for repairs.            per hour = $85.
External detailed and eddy         Up to 4 work-hours x            0  Up to $340...........  Up to $160,140 per
 current inspections for cracks.    $85 per hour = $340                                       inspection cycle.
                                    per inspection
                                    cycle.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FAA has received no definitive data on which to base the cost 
estimates for the on-condition repairs or for the alternative 
inspections specified in this AD.

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.

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:

2026-15-11 The Boeing Company: Amendment 39-23423; Docket No. FAA-
2025-3985; Project Identifier AD-2025-00493-T.

(a) Effective Date

    This airworthiness directive (AD) is effective September 10, 
2026.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to The Boeing Company Model 737-8, 737-9, and 
737-8200 airplanes, certificated in any category, as identified in 
Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 737-53A1408 RB, dated December 
20, 2024.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 53, Fuselage.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by reports of cracks in the bear strap at 
the forward upper corner of the forward galley door cutout. The FAA 
is issuing this AD to address cracks in the fuselage skin and bear 
strap, which may lead to the inability of the principal structural 
element to sustain limit loads and adversely affect the structural 
integrity of the airplane.

(f) Compliance

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

(g) Required Actions

    Except as specified by paragraph (h) of this AD: At the 
applicable times specified in the ``Compliance'' paragraph of Boeing 
Alert Requirements Bulletin 737-53A1408 RB, dated December 20, 2024, 
do all applicable actions identified in, and in accordance with, the 
Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 
737-53A1408 RB, dated December 20, 2024.
    Note 1 to paragraph (g): Guidance for accomplishing the actions 
required by this AD can be found in Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 
737-53A1408, dated December 20, 2024, which is referred to in Boeing 
Alert Requirements Bulletin 737-53A1408 RB, dated December 20, 2024.

(h) Exceptions to Requirements Bulletin Specifications

    (1) Where Compliance Time columns of the tables in the 
``Compliance'' paragraph of Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 737-
53A1408 RB, dated December 20, 2024, refer to the original issue 
date of Requirements Bulletin 737-53A1408 RB, this AD requires using 
the effective date of this AD.
    (2) Where Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 737-53A1408 RB, 
dated December 20, 2024, specifies contacting Boeing for repair 
instructions or for alternative inspections, this AD requires doing 
the repair, or doing the alternative inspections and applicable on-
condition actions, using a method approved in accordance with the 
procedures specified in paragraph (i) of this AD.

(i) 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 Continued Operational 
Safety Branch, send it to the attention of the person identified in 
paragraph (j)(1) of this AD. Information may be emailed to: 
[email protected]. Before using any approved AMOC, notify your 
appropriate principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, 
the manager of the responsible Flight Standards Office.

[[Page 50701]]

    (2) 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.

(j) Additional Information

    (1) For more information about this AD, contact Luis Cortez-
Muniz, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des 
Moines, WA 98198; phone: 206-231-3958; email: [email protected].
    (2) Material identified in this AD that is not incorporated by 
reference is available at the address specified in paragraph (k)(3) 
of this AD.

(k) 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 737-53A1408 RB, dated 
December 20, 2024.
    (ii) [Reserved]
    (3) 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.
    (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 August 3, 2026.
Brian Knaup,
Acting Deputy Director, Integrated Certificate Management Division, 
Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-15936 Filed 8-5-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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