Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 747-400 and 747-400F series airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of cracking in the outboard flange of the longeron extension fittings, which attach to the wing-to-body fairing support frame. This AD requires repetitive inspections of the longeron extension fittings for cracking, and corrective actions if necessary. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cracks in the longeron extension fittings, which can become large and adversely affect the structural integrity of the airplane.