The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an updated airworthiness directive for the Boeing 777 series following cracking issues found on the series.
This isn’t the first AD related to the problem found on the 777 series or generally the first time mentioned. A previous airworthiness directive was related to a crack on the left and right side ring chords, among other areas.
However, one of the biggest problems following the issuing of this AD was that errors in the directive introduced a new unsafe condition related to applying specific fastener cap seals.
All in all, the initial problems posed a safety risk to the aircraft, given that the plane’s structural integrity could be weakened if all of the issues came together.
The Federal Aviation Administration notes that it is essential that inspections and modifications/replacements take place on the affected Boeing 777s to ensure the safety of those onboard.
However, such a process by the FAA has been outlined as not one that’ll be completed overnight as the risk needs to be eliminated. Given how many errors have been identified, it’s a process.
An Airworthiness Directive is a legally enforced regulation that the FAA can issue to correct/identify an unsafe condition in a product, that product in this case relating to the Boeing 777 series. However, it can stretch to a host of other aircraft types too.
In more cases than none, ADs don’t necessarily mean a plane is unsafe to fly passengers; however, they need addressing to remove any future risk by leaving a problem unattended.
