Airworthiness Directives; McDonnell Douglas Model DC-8 Series Airplanes

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to certain McDonnell Douglas Model DC-8 series airplanes, that requires detailed visual and eddy current inspections of the lower wing skin at the 3 outboard fasteners of the stringer 64 end fitting to detect cracks; and corrective actions, if necessary. This amendment is prompted by reports of fatigue cracks found in the lower wing skin initiating from the outboard fasteners of the stringer 64 end fitting. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent such fatigue cracking, which could reduce structural integrity and loss of fail-safe capability of the airplane.