Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 747-400, 747-400D, and 747-400F series airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports of burned Boeing Material Specification (BMS) 8-39 urethane foam found in certain locations on the airplane; investigation revealed that the fire-retardant properties degrade with age. This AD requires inspecting the insulation blankets in certain areas of the forward cargo compartment for exposed BMS 8-39 urethane foam, not encapsulated by a protective fire resistant barrier, and for seal integrity, and replacing the BMS 8-39 urethane foam and seal if necessary. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.