Airworthiness Directive 2016-20-02
recurringAirworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes
What this AD requires
We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 737-300, -400, and -500 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by an evaluation by the design approval holder (DAH) indicating that the aft pressure bulkhead is subject to widespread fatigue damage (WFD). This AD requires repetitive inspections of the aft pressure bulkhead web for any cracking, incorrectly drilled fastener holes, and elongated fastener holes; and related investigative and corrective actions, if necessary. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of the aft pressure bulkhead web at the "Y"-chord, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the airplane and rapid decompression of the fuselage.
Which aircraft AD 2016-20-02 applies to
Applies to airplanes identified as Group 2 in Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 737-53A1214, Revision 5, dated January 30, 2015. Installation of STC ST01219SE does not affect the ability to accomplish the AD actions; no change-in-product AMOC approval is necessary for airplanes with STC ST01219SE installed.
Whether AD 2016-20-02 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.