Summary
This document proposes the adoption of a new airworthiness directive (AD) that is applicable to certain de Havilland Model DHC-8- 102 and -103 series airplanes. This proposal would require repetitive external inspections to detect cracks in the skin exterior of the fuselage at floor level, and repair, if necessary. This proposal also would require repetitive internal inspections to detect cracks of the subject area, which terminates the repetitive external inspections. This proposal is prompted by a report that one of the tasks in the Maintenance Program Airworthiness Limitations List inadvertently excluded certain airplanes from the instructions for the inspections. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent undetected cracking of the frames and skin panels of the fuselage, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the airplane.