Action
Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
Summary
We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 787-8 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of missing bonded plugs found prior to airplane delivery, during manufacturing inspections, at various locations in certain stringers of the forward electrical equipment (EE) bay of the lower lobe cargo compartments. This proposed AD would require drilling a hole and installing and bonding plugs in certain stringers of the forward EE bay of the lower lobe cargo compartments. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct missing or misaligned bonded plugs which, in the event of a fire, could cause an increased rate of loss of Halon in the lower cargo compartments, and result in the inability to extinguish a fire and consequent loss of control of the airplane.