Is AD 2016-09-13 a recurring Airworthiness Directive?

Yes — AD 2016-09-13 requires a repetitive inspection. Next-due depends on the aircraft's time in service.

Which aircraft does AD 2016-09-13 apply to?

AD 2016-09-13 applies to Boeing — models 737-300, 737-400, 737-500, 737. Serial/part conditions may narrow it to specific aircraft.

Airworthiness Directive 2016-09-13

recurring

Official AD 2016-09-13 · FR doc 2016-10524 · 2016-05-09 · airframe

Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

What this AD requires

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 737-300, -400, and -500 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of fatigue cracking found at the left-side and right-side upper frames, at a certain area. This AD requires repetitive medium frequency eddy current (MFEC) inspections for cracking of the left-side and right-side upper frames, and repair (including open hole high frequency eddy current (HFEC) inspections for cracking of fastener holes) if necessary. This AD also provides an optional preventive modification, which terminates the repetitive inspections at the modified location. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of the upper frame, which can grow in size and result in a severed frame, leading to rapid decompression and consequent reduced structural integrity of the airplane.

Repetitive inspection. Re-inspect. The next-due date/hours depend on this aircraft’s time in service — a records report computes it from the logbooks.

Which aircraft AD 2016-09-13 applies to

MakesBoeing

Models737-300, 737-400, 737-500, 737

Applies to airplanes identified in Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 737-53A1339, dated August 12, 2014. Installation of STC ST01219SE does not affect the ability to accomplish the AD actions and does not require a change-in-product AMOC.

Whether AD 2016-09-13 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:

Method of compliance — The specific action taken (inspected, replaced, modified) and to what revision.

Date — When the work was done.

Aircraft time — Total time in service / tach at compliance — how recurring next-due is computed.

Signature & certificate — The A&P/IA who returned it to service, with certificate number.

Is AD 2016-09-13 complied with on your aircraft?

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.