Airworthiness Directives; McDonnell Douglas Model MD-11 Series Airplanes

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) that is applicable to certain McDonnell Douglas Model MD-11 series airplanes. This action requires a one-time inspection to identify the part numbers of two dimmer controls for the overhead instrument panel light and circuit breaker lightplate located in the flight compartment. For airplanes on which a dimmer control having an incorrect part number is installed, this action also requires replacing the dimmer control with a new part; modifying and reinstalling the existing dimmer control; or reinstalling a dimmer control following modification of the part by the part manufacturer. This amendment is prompted by reports of smoke emitting from the overhead panels in the cockpit area. The actions specified in this AD are intended to prevent an electrical failure in the overhead dimmer control due to overheating of a printed circuit board capacitor in the dimmer control, which could result in rupture of the capacitor and smoke in the flight compartment.