Airworthiness Directive 2013-08-16
recurringAirworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes
What this AD requires
We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 737-700 and -700C series airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of early fatigue cracks at chem-mill areas on the crown skin panels. This AD requires repetitive inspections for cracking of the fuselage skin at certain locations at chem-mill areas, and repair if necessary. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of the skin panel at the specified chem-mill step locations, which could result in rapid decompression of the airplane.
Which aircraft AD 2013-08-16 applies to
Applies to airplanes identified in Boeing Service Bulletin 737-53-1310, dated October 20, 2011. Installation of STC ST00830SE does not affect applicability; a change-in-product AMOC approval is not necessary for airplanes with that STC installed.
Whether AD 2013-08-16 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.