US: FAA subjects all US 787s to decompression panel inspections

The US FAA is expanding to all US-registered Boeing 787s an airworthiness directive related to potential failure of decompression panels. The latest order, made public on 19 April, builds on a related AD that took effect on 8 March. Both orders respond to “reports of multiple incidents of torn decompression panels found in the bilge area” of 787s, FAA documents say. As a result, “leakage in the bilge area… could, in the event of a cargo fire, result in insufficient Halon concentrations to adequately control the fire”, the agency says. The FAA’s March AD applied only to 787s with certain decompression panels, but the new rule will apply to all 787-8s, 787-9s and 787-10s. The agency has “received new information indicating that additional airplanes may be subject to the unsafe condition”, it says. “The FAA determined that all of the decompression panel part numbers may be subject to damage (tearing) or becoming disengaged.” The latest AD takes effect in 16 days.<br/>