Federal Register #2026-20680

FAA airworthiness directive requiring safety checks and actuator modifications on certain Boeing 787 airplanes

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a safety directive covering specified Boeing 787 airplanes and requiring inspections and modifications. - Government buyer: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); no specific office is identified. - OEM: Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer and source of the referenced requirements bulletins. - Affected aircraft: Boeing 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 airplanes identified in Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin B787-81205-SB270055-00 RB. - Required actions: Perform retained repetitive slat operational checks and applicable on-condition actions; revise the airplane flight manual to prohibit flap retraction under icing conditions after landing; and revise the maintenance or inspection program. - Replace the leading-edge outboard geared rotary actuator with a lockout actuator at the outboard locations of slats 2 and 11. - Incorporate CMR 27-CMR-14 and functionally check the Leading Edge Power Drive Unit Half System Torque Brake. - Completion of the new actions terminates specified retained requirements for each airplane. - Safety concern: A slat could be out of position without a flight-deck alert, potentially reducing lift and affecting safe flight and landing. - Estimated scope: 174 U.S.-registered airplanes; quantities for individual aircraft models and replacement actuators are not specified. - This is a regulatory airworthiness directive, not a solicitation for a contract award.

Description

The FAA is issuing a final rule superseding Airworthiness Directive 2019-20-07 for certain Boeing 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 airplanes. It retains the previous directive’s operational checks, flight-manual revision, and maintenance or inspection program requirements, and adds replacement of leading-edge outboard geared rotary actuators with lockout actuators. The rule also requires a new certification maintenance requirement, which terminates specified retained requirements, and removes airplanes from applicability. The FAA states the action addresses a potential out-of-position leading-edge slat system condition that could result in insufficient lift and inability to maintain safe flight and landing.

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