AD 2022-13-10 Prompted By Reports Of Burned Boeing Material Specification (BMS) 8-39 Urethane Foam

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 767-200, -300, -300F, and -400ER series airplanes.

This AD was prompted by reports of burned Boeing Material Specification (BMS) 8-39 urethane foam, which is a material with fire-retardant properties that deteriorate with age. This AD requires replacing certain BMS 8-39 foam pads with Nomex felt in certain areas, removing certain BMS 8-39 foam pads in a certain area (which includes a general visual inspection to find BMS 8-39 foam pads), and inspecting the corner seals to determine if the corner seals were replaced, and replacing affected corner seals. This AD also prohibits the installation of BMS 8-39 urethane foam seal in certain locations. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. This AD is effective September 20, 2022.

Supplementary Information: 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 767-200, -300, -300F, and -400ER series airplanes. The NPRM published in the Federal Register on January 31, 2022 (87 FR 4828). The NPRM was prompted by reports of burned BMS 8-39 urethane foam, which is a material with fireretardant properties that deteriorate with age. In the NPRM, the FAA proposed to require replacing certain BMS 8-39 foam pads with Nomex felt in certain areas, removing certain BMS 8-39 foam pads in a certain area (which includes a general visual inspection to find BMS 8-39 foam pads), and inspecting the corner seals to determine if the corner seals were replaced, and replacing affected corner seals. The FAA is issuing this AD to address degraded BMS 8-39 urethane foam used in seals, which may fail to maintain sufficient halon concentrations in the cargo compartments to extinguish or contain fire or smoke, and may result in penetration of smoke or fire into the flight compartment, leading to possible loss of control of the airplane.

FMI: www.regulations.gov