Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 767 airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of stiff operation of the elevator pitch control system and jammed elevator controls. This AD requires replacing pressure seal assemblies; doing repetitive inspections for dirt, loose particles, or blockage of the flanged tube and drain hole for the pressure seals, and corrective action if necessary; replacing the aft air-intake duct assembly with a new or modified assembly and installing a dripshield; and installing gutters on the horizontal stabilizer center section and modifying the side brace fittings. We are issuing this AD to prevent moisture from collecting and freezing on the elevator control system components, which could limit the ability of the flightcrew to make elevator control inputs and result in reduced controllability of the airplane.