AD NUMBER: 2011-12-11

MANUFACTURER: The Boeing Company Model 767 Airplanes
SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2011-12-11

SUMMARY: The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above.

That AD currently requires, for certain airplanes, reworking the bonding jumper assemblies on the drain tube assemblies of the slat track housing of the wings. For certain other airplanes, the existing AD requires repetitive inspections of the drain tube assemblies of the slat track housing of the wings to find discrepancies, corrective actions if necessary, and terminating action for the repetitive inspections.

This new AD also requires replacing the drain tube assemblies. For certain airplanes, this new AD also requires installing an additional electrostatic bond path for the number 5 and 8 inboard slat track drain tube assemblies. For certain other airplanes, this new AD also requires reworking the bonding jumper assembly. This new AD also revises the applicability to include additional airplanes.

This AD was prompted by (1) reports of fuel leaks from certain drain locations of the slat track housing near the engine exhaust nozzle, which could result in a fire when the airplane is stationary, or taxiing at low speed; (2) reports of a bonding jumper assembly of certain drain tubes that did not meet bonding specifications and could result in electrostatic discharge and an in-tank ignition source; and (3) reports of fuel leaks onto the main landing gear (MLG) as a result of a cracked drain tube at the number 5 or 8 slat track housing, which could let fuel drain from the main fuel tanks into the dry bay area of the wings and onto hot MLG brakes and result in a fire.

FMI: http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAD.nsf/0/56771F843B0C0C06862578B2004D6A44?OpenDocument