Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Model 737-900ER Series Airplanes

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD requires doing a one-time general visual inspection for a keyway in two fuel tank access door cutouts, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This AD was prompted by reports of cracks emanating from the keyway of the fuel tank access hole. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct such cracking, which could result in the loss of the lower wing skin load path and consequent structural failure of the wing.