Not Exactly Light Reading... It's Another Step Closer To Getting Back To Business

The FAA has sent an NPRM for a Boeing 737 MAX airworthiness directive (AD) to the Office of the Federal Register for publication. The NPRM proposes mandating a number of design changes to address an identified unsafe condition. When the NPRM publishes in the Federal Register, a 45 day public comment period will begin. The FAA has posted the NPRM on its website to enable the public to begin review early.

The NPRM< notes that, "The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2018-23-51, which applies to all The Boeing Company Model 737-8 and 737-9 (737 MAX) airplanes. Since AD 2018-23-51 was issued, the agency has determined that final corrective action is necessary to address the unsafe condition. This proposed AD would require installing new flight control computer (FCC) software, revising the existing Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) to incorporate new and revised flightcrew procedures, installing new MAX display system (MDS) software, changing the horizontal stabilizer trim wire routing installations, completing an angle of attack sensor system test, and performing an operational readiness flight. This proposed AD would also apply to a narrower set of airplanes than the superseded AD, and allow operation (dispatch) of an airplane with certain inoperative systems only if certain provisions are incorporated in the operator’s existing FAA-approved minimum equipment list (MEL). The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products"

The FAA will also be placing the Preliminary Summary of the FAA’s Review of the Boeing 737 MAX in the docket to assist with the review of the proposed AD.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.faa.gov/news/media/attachments/19_035n-R3-8-3-20.pdf