Airworthiness Directives; Transport Category Airplanes

This amendment revises an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that is applicable to all transport category airplanes. The existing AD currently requires installation of placards prohibiting smoking in the lavatory and disposal of cigarettes in the [[Page 21430]] lavatory waste receptacles; establishment of a procedure to announce to airplane occupants that smoking is prohibited in the lavatories; installation of ashtrays at certain locations; and repetitive inspections to ensure that lavatory waste receptacle doors operate correctly. That action was prompted by fires occurring in lavatories, which were caused by, among other things, the improper disposal of smoking materials in lavatory waste receptacles. The actions specified by the AD are intended to prevent such fires. This amendment provides for an alternative action regarding the current requirement to install specific placards at certain locations.