New FAA Proposal Aims To Prevent Loss Of Flight Controls On Boeing 757s
The FAA is proposing a new directive to address an unsafe condition for the Boeing 757.
The United States (US) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed an airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing 757-200, 757-200PF, 757-200 Combi (CB), and 757-300 aircraft. According to the regulator, operators reported finding “frequent and severe damage to the blowout vent grills of the aft soft bulkhead lining in the aft lower lobe cargo compartment.” As a result, the FAA is looking to require operators to inspect certain decompression panels and pressure equalization valves in the forward and aft lower lobe cargo compartments for damage with applicable on-conditions actions.
Carriers operating specific Boeing 757s would have to replace certain soft bulkheads with rigid bulkheads, while certain aircraft operators would have to install doublers to specific bulkhead assembly panels.
Damaged during baggage loading and unloading
The FAA pointed out that after operators reported the damage within the aft lower lobe cargo compartment, Boeing’s investigation led to the conclusion that “the blowout vent grills are vulnerable to being damaged during baggage loading and unloading.”
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Explaining the condition further, the regulator said that the damage to the blowout vent grills in either forward or aft lobe cargo compartments “could lead to latent failure of the decompression panels and pressure equalization valves.” Combined with a fire, the failure could result in ineffective fire protection, detection, suppression, and containment system. Furthermore, with rapid decompression, the latent failure could,
“Prevent activation of the station (STA) 1640 decompression panels, which could damage the STA 1640 floor beam and cause loss of hydraulic systems components and flight control.”
The FAA published the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on October 26, 2023. It has invited interested parties to comment on the proposed AD by December 11, 2023. Subsequently, the FAA will publish the final rule addressing the comments.
Affecting 489 Boeing 757s in the US
According to the FAA’s estimates, the directive would affect 489 Boeing 757 aircraft registered in the US. Meanwhile, ch-aviation data showed that there are 412 aircraft of the type that are either active or inactive, including 205 passenger and 197 freighter aircraft, respectively. The list also includes 10 Boeing 757 variants operated by the United States Air Force (USAF).
The regulator also estimated that conducting the detailed inspections will cost operators $1,785 per inspection per aircraft. Replacing the soft bulkhead, which is required for 100 757s, will cost $109,090 per aircraft, while installing doublers for seven 757s will cost $1,930 per aircraft.
If any damage is found during inspections, repairs are estimated at $55,140 per aircraft, and replacing the part will cost $109,260 per aircraft. The FAA noted that it cannot “determine the number of aircraft that might need this repair or replacement.”
In addition, the FAA pointed out that after reviewing Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin (RB) 757–25A0319 from March 2023, the bulletin includes “procedures for repetitive detailed inspections of certain bulkhead (including STA 1640), sidewall, ceiling, and E5 EE rack decompression panels, and pressure equalization valves on certain airplanes, in the forward and aft lower lobe cargo compartments for damage; and applicable on-condition actions.” These include repairing or replacing flawed decompression panels or pressure equalization valves.
News taken from: Simpleflying
