The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) introducing a new Airworthiness Directive (AD) targeting Boeing 767-300 aircraft modified for cargo operations under a specific Supplemental Type Certificate (STC).
The directive arises following the detection of an improper installation in the first officer’s pitot-static system during the conversion of these aircraft from passenger to cargo configurations. According to the report, the rigid pipes and flexible hoses in the system exhibit configurations that could lead to water or moisture accumulation, posing a risk of malfunction in navigation instruments.
The FAA proposal mandates a visual inspection of the pitot-static system’s rigid pipes and flexible hoses for potential low points that could form water traps. Additionally, the agency calls for investigative and corrective actions if irregularities are found, including the installation of new components such as brackets, fittings, and rigid pipes.
Operators will have a timeframe of 36 months from the directive’s effective date to comply with these measures. This AD applies to a total of 88 Boeing 767-300 aircraft registered in the United States and modified under STC ST02040SE.
Estimated Costs
The FAA has estimated the following costs to comply with the AD:
- Basic inspection: $170 per aircraft, amounting to a total cost of $14,960 for the affected fleet.
- Additional corrective actions (if required): $1,535 per aircraft, including 11 hours of labor and $600 in parts.
The notice is based on a similar directive issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI), which identified unsafe conditions in these aircraft. The directive incorporates procedures described in Service Bulletin 368-34-106 by Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., published in August 2024.
The public and stakeholders may submit comments on the proposal until January 31, 2025. Comments must be submitted through official FAA channels, such as the regulations.gov portal.
The FAA considers the improper installation of the pitot-static system to represent a significant flight safety risk. If unaddressed, water or moisture accumulation could compromise the functionality of the first officer’s navigation systems, increasing the potential for in-flight failures.
