AD 67-05-02

67-05-02 DOUGLAS: Amdt. 39-346 Part 39 Federal Register February 10, 1967. Applies to Model DC-9 Airplanes Serial Numbers 45696 to 45707 inclusive, 45711 to 45732 inclusive, 45735 to 45749 inclusive, 45770 to 45773 inclusive, 45785, 45794, 45795, 45798, 45799, 45825, 45829, 45841 to 45844 inclusive, 47048, and 47049.

Compliance required as follows:

(a) For airplanes having fitting P/N 9958161-39(LH) or fitting P/N 9958161-40(RH), with 4,000 or more cycles accumulated on the effective date of this AD, perform the inspection required by (d) on that fitting (or fittings, as the case may be) prior to completing the next 100 cycles and thereafter within periods not to exceed each successive 100 cycles.

(b) For airplanes having fitting P/N 9958161-39(LH) or fitting P/N 9958161-40(RH), with less than 4,000 cycles accumulated on the effective date of this AD, perform the inspection required by (d) on that fitting (or fittings, as the case may be) prior to completing 4,100 cycles total, and thereafter within periods not to exceed each successive 100 cycles.

(c) Operators who have kept records of cycles of individual fittings shall substitute cycles of the airplane in lieu thereof. Each takeoff, including a takeoff accomplished during flight training, constitutes one cycle. In addition, every 30 minutes of flight training constitutes one cycle. For operators who do not keep a record of takeoffs, the number of takeoffs may be determined, subject to the approval of the assigned FAA air carrier maintenance inspector, by dividing each airplane's hours' time in service by the operator's fleet average time from takeoff to landing computed from the time of the operator's first operation of a DC-9 aircraft type to the effective date of this AD.

(d) Inspect the fittings P/N's 9958161-39(LH) and -40(RH) for cracks by means of fluorescent penetrant, or by magnetic particle inspection, or by a procedure previously approved by the Chief, Aircraft Engineering Division, FAA Western Region.

NOTE: During the inspection required by (d), particular attention should be directed to the aft edge of the fitting and the aft portion of the lower surface of the fitting.

(e) Replace before further flight (except that the airplane may be flown in accordance with FAR 21.197 to a base where the repair can be accomplished), all fittings found cracked with new parts of the same part number or with redesigned parts, fittings P/N's 5923937-501(LH) and -502(RH).

(f) If the cracked fittings are replaced with fittings of the same part number, the provisions of this AD are again applicable. The inspections must be accomplished at the compliance time indicated.

(g) The required inspections of fitting P/N 9958161-39(LH) may be discontinued when that fitting is replaced by fitting P/N 5923937-501(LH). The required inspections of fitting P/N 9958161-40(RH) may be discontinued when that fitting is replaced by fitting P/N 5923937-502(RH).

(h) Upon request of the operator, an FAA maintenance inspector, subject to prior approval of the Regional Director, FAA Western Region, may adjust the repetitive inspection intervals specified in this AD to permit compliance at an established inspection period of the operator if the request contains substantiating data to justify the increase for that operator.

(Douglas Model DC-9 Service Bulletin 54-4 and telegrams dated January 11, 1967, and January 13, 1967, to all DC-9 operators cover essentially this same subject.)

This directive effective February 10, 1967.