Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 737-400 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by an evaluation by the design approval holder (DAH), which indicates that the aft fuselage skin is subject to widespread fatigue damage (WFD), and reports of aft fuselage skin cracking. This AD requires repetitive inspections to detect cracking of the aft fuselage skin, inspections to detect missing or loose fasteners and any disbonding or cracking of bonded doublers, permanent repairs of time-limited repairs, related investigative and corrective actions if necessary, and skin panel replacement. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.