Airworthiness Directives; BAE Systems (Operations) Limited Airplanes

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2015-07- 05, which applied to all BAE Systems (Operations) Limited Model BAe 146 series airplanes and Model Avro 146-RJ series airplanes. AD 2015-07-05 required repetitive external eddy current inspections on the aft skin lap joints of the rear fuselage for cracking, corrosion, and other defects, and repair if necessary. This AD continues to require the actions in AD 2015-07-05, at certain revised compliance times, and also requires repetitive low frequency eddy current (LFEC) inspections for any cracking, corrosion, and other defects in the aft skin lap joints of the rear fuselage and in the fuselage skin panels, and repair if necessary. This AD was prompted by a report of a pressurization problem on an airplane during climb-out; a subsequent investigation showed a crack in the fuselage skin; and that repetitive LFEC inspections in the rear fuselage aft skin lap joints and in the fuselage skin panels are necessary. Certain compliance times must also be revised. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.