Summary
The FAA is withdrawing a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that proposed to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD). That NPRM would have applied to certain The Boeing Company Model 737-700, -800, and -900ER series airplanes. The NPRM was prompted by a report of unshimmed gaps at a certain frame inner chord. The NPRM would have required a general visual inspection for repairs of a certain frame inner chord, a detailed inspection for unshimmed gaps of the frame inner chord, and applicable on-condition actions. Since issuance of the NPRM, the FAA determined that the proposed AD is inadequate to address the unsafe condition. The FAA intends to propose new rulemaking to incorporate changes to the proposed requirements and add airplanes that are also subject to the unsafe condition. Accordingly, the NPRM is withdrawn.