Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

<RULE> DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION <SUBAGY>Federal Aviation Administration</SUBAGY> <CFR>14 CFR Part 39</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. FAA-2025-1357; Project Identifier AD-2025-00618-T; Amendment 39-23151; AD 2025-19-11]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2120-AA64</RIN> <SUBJECT>Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all The Boeing Company Model 757-200, -200PF, and -200CB series airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of improper grinding of the inner diameter of the main landing gear (MLG) outer cylinders, resulting in possible heat damage to the outer cylinders. This AD requires a records check or inspection to determine if an affected outer cylinder is installed and replacing all affected outer cylinders. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This AD is effective November 6, 2025. The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of November 6, 2025. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> <E T="03">AD Docket:</E> You may examine the AD docket at <E T="03">regulations.gov</E> under Docket No. FAA-2025-1357; or in person at Docket Operations between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD docket contains this final rule, any comments received, and other information. The address for Docket Operations is U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. <E T="03">Material Incorporated by Reference:</E> • For Boeing material identified in this AD, contact Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Attention: Contractual & Data Services (C&DS), 2600 Westminster Blvd., MC 110-SK57, Seal Beach, CA 90740-5600; telephone 562-797-1717; website <E T="03">myboeingfleet.com</E> . • You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 206-231-3195. It is also available at <E T="03">regulations.gov</E> under Docket No. FAA-2025-1357. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Stefanie Roesli, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; phone: 206-231-3964; email: <E T="03">stefanie.n.roesli@faa.gov.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Background</HD> The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 by adding an AD that would apply to all The Boeing Company Model 757-200, -200PF, and -200CB series airplanes. The NPRM was published in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> on July 8, 2025 (90 FR 30030). The NPRM was prompted by a report of improper grinding of the inner diameter of the MLG outer cylinders, resulting in possible heat damage to the outer cylinders. In the NPRM, the FAA proposed to require a records check or inspection to determine if an affected outer cylinder is installed and replacing all affected outer cylinders. The FAA is issuing this AD to address heat damage to the MLG outer cylinders. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could cause failure of a principal structural element to sustain its limit load or collapse of the MLG, which could result in loss of control of the airplane or runway departure. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Discussion of Final Airworthiness Directive</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Comments</HD> The FAA received comments from the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) and Boeing who supported the NPRM without change. The FAA received an additional comment from Aviation Partners Boeing (APB). The following presents the comment received on the NPRM and the FAA's response to the comment. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Effect of Winglets on Accomplishment of the Proposed Actions</HD> APB stated that the installation of winglets per Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) ST01518SE does not affect accomplishment of the actions specified in the proposed AD. The FAA agrees that STC ST01518SE does not affect the ability to accomplish the actions required by this AD. The FAA has not changed the AD in this regard. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Conclusion</HD> The FAA reviewed the relevant data and determined that air safety requires adopting this AD as proposed. Accordingly, the FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. Except for minor editorial changes, this AD is adopted as proposed in the NPRM. None of the changes will increase the economic burden on any operator. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Material Incorporated by Reference Under 1 CFR Part 51</HD> The FAA reviewed Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 757-32A0216 RB, dated January 26, 2024. This material specifies procedures for performing a maintenance records check or an inspection of the left and right MLG outer cylinders to determine if any affected part numbers and serial numbers are installed and replacing any affected outer cylinder. This material is reasonably available because the interested parties have access to it through their normal course of business or by the means identified in the <E T="02">ADDRESSES</E> section. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Costs of Compliance</HD> The FAA estimates that this AD affects 399 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD: <GPOTABLE COLS="5" OPTS="L2,i1" CDEF="s50,r50,12,12,12"> <TTITLE>Estimated Costs</TTITLE> <CHED H="1">Action</CHED> <CHED H="1">Labor cost</CHED> <CHED H="1">Parts cost</CHED> <CHED H="1"> Cost per product </CHED> <CHED H="1">Cost on U.S. operators</CHED> <ROW> <ENT I="01">Inspection or maintenance records check for affected parts</ENT> <ENT>3 work-hours × $85 per hour = $255</ENT> <ENT>$0</ENT> <ENT>$255</ENT> <ENT>$101,745</ENT> </ROW> </GPOTABLE> The FAA estimates the following costs to do any replacement that would be required based on the results of the inspection or maintenance records check. The agency has no way of determining the number of airplanes that might need this replacement: <GPOTABLE COLS="4" OPTS="L2,i1" CDEF="s50,r50,12,r50"> <TTITLE>On-Condition Costs</TTITLE> <CHED H="1">Action</CHED> <CHED H="1">Labor cost</CHED> <CHED H="1">Parts cost</CHED> <CHED H="1">Cost per product</CHED> <ROW> <ENT I="01">Replacement of MLG outer cylinder (20 affected parts)</ENT> <ENT>137 work-hours × $85 per hour = $11,645</ENT> <ENT>$325,000</ENT> <ENT>$336,645 per MLG outer cylinder.</ENT> </ROW> </GPOTABLE> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Authority for This Rulemaking</HD> Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA's authority to issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, section 106, describes the authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII: Aviation Programs, describes in more detail the scope of the Agency's authority. The FAA is issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701: General requirements. Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing regulations for practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator finds necessary for safety in air commerce. This regulation is within the scope of that authority because it addresses an unsafe condition that is likely to exist or develop on products identified in this rulemaking action. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Regulatory Findings</HD> This AD will not have federalism implications under Executive Order 13132. This AD will not have a substantial direct effect on the States, on the relationship between the national government and the States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various levels of government. For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this AD: (1) Is not a “significant regulatory action” under Executive Order 12866, (2) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and (3) Will not have a significant economic impact, positive or negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. <LSTSUB> <HD SOURCE="HED">List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39</HD> Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by reference, Safety. </LSTSUB> <HD SOURCE="HD1">The Amendment</HD> Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the FAA amends 14 CFR part 39 as follows: <HD SOURCE="HED">PART 39—AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES</HD> <REGTEXT TITLE="14" PART="39"> 1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows: <HD SOURCE="HED">Authority:</HD> 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701. </REGTEXT> <SECTION> <SECTNO>§ 39.13</SECTNO> <SUBJECT>[Amended]</SUBJECT> </SECTION> <REGTEXT TITLE="14" PART="39"> 2. The FAA amends § 39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness directive: <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2"> <E T="04">2025-19-11 The Boeing Company:</E> Amendment 39-23151; Docket No. FAA-2025-1357; Project Identifier AD-2025-00618-T. </FP> <HD SOURCE="HD1">(a) Effective Date</HD> This airworthiness directive (AD) is effective November 6, 2025. <HD SOURCE="HD1">(b) Affected ADs</HD> None. <HD SOURCE="HD1">(c) Applicability</HD> This AD applies to The Boeing Company Model 757-200, -200PF, and -200CB series airplanes, certificated in any category. <HD SOURCE="HD1">(d) Subject</HD> Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 32, Landing Gear. <HD SOURCE="HD1">(e) Unsafe Condition</HD> This AD was prompted by a report of improper grinding of the inner diameter of the main la ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 15k characters. 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