Summary
This document proposes the adoption of a new airworthiness directive (AD) that is applicable to certain McDonnell Douglas Model DC-10 series airplanes and KC-10A (military) airplanes. This proposal would require visual inspections to detect failure of the attachments located in the banjo No. 4 fitting of the vertical stabilizer. This proposal also would require an eddy current inspection to detect cracking of the flanges and bolt holes of that fitting, and repair or replacement of attachments. This proposal is prompted by reports of failed attachments of the vertical stabilizer; the failures are attributed to stress corrosion fatigue. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent loss of the fail safe capability of the vertical stabilizer due to cracking of its attachments.