Airworthiness Directive 04-7297
recurringAirworthiness Directives; McDonnell Douglas Model DC-9-15, DC-9-31, and DC-9-32 Airplanes
What this AD requires
This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to certain McDonnell Douglas Model DC-9-15, DC-9-31, and DC- 9-32 airplanes, that requires repetitive visual and x-ray inspections to detect cracks of the upper and lower corners and upper center of the door cutout of the aft pressure bulkhead; corrective actions, if necessary; and follow-on actions. For certain airplanes, this AD also requires modification of the ventral aft pressure bulkhead. This action is necessary to detect and correct fatigue cracks in the corners and upper center of the door cutout of the aft pressure bulkhead, which could result in rapid decompression of the fuselage and consequent reduced structural integrity of the airplane. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition.
Which aircraft AD 04-7297 applies to
Whether AD 04-7297 actually applies to your aircraft (by serial and installed parts) and whether it’s already complied with comes from that aircraft’s records.
How AD compliance is recorded
A valid compliance record (14 CFR 43.9) states:
Tailplate reads a tail number’s logbooks and matches every applicable AD — including this one — to its compliance evidence, with recurring next-due dates computed.
Look up a tail number →Read the full directive (Federal Register)Applicability is derived from the FAA directive corpus and is advisory, not a legal airworthiness determination. Compliance is established only from an aircraft’s actual records.