Airworthiness Directives; McDonnell Douglas Model DC-9-80 Series Airplanes and Model MD-90-30 and MD-88 Airplanes

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to all McDonnell Douglas Model DC-9-80 series airplanes and Model MD-90-30 and MD-88 airplanes, that requires a one-time inspection of the harness assembly of the tailcone emergency evacuation slide to determine the diameter of the swaged balls; reidentification of the harness assembly; and reinstallation or replacement of the assembly with a new assembly, if necessary. This amendment is prompted by a failed deployment of the tailcone emergency evacuation slide during a system test conducted by the manufacturer. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent failure of the tailcone emergency evacuation slide to deploy automatically due to incorrect diameter of the swaged balls on the wire rope of the harness assembly.