Airworthiness Directives; Boeing Model 737-200, -300, -400, -500, -600, -700, -800, and -900 Series Airplanes; Boeing Model 757-200 and -300 Series Airplanes; and McDonnell Douglas Model DC-10-10, DC-10-10F, DC-10-30, DC-10-30F, DC-10-40, MD-10-30F, MD-11, and MD-11F Airplanes; Equipped With Reinforced Flight Deck Doors Installed in Accordance With Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) ST01335LA, STC ST01334LA, and STC ST01391LA, Respectively

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to certain transport category airplanes identified above. That AD currently requires modification of the reinforced flight deck door and other actions related to the reinforced flight deck door. Those other actions include modifying the door, inspecting and modifying wiring in the area, and revising the maintenance program to require more frequent testing of the decompression panels of the flight deck door. This new AD continues to require the existing requirements. This new AD adds airplanes to the existing requirement of a one-time inspection for chafing of wire bundles in the area of the flight deck door and corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD also removes certain airplanes from the applicability. This AD results from a report of smoke and fumes in the cockpit of a Model 737-300 series airplane. We are issuing this AD to prevent inadvertent release of the decompression latch and consequent opening of the decompression panel in the flight deck door, or penetration of the flight deck door by smoke, any of which could result in injury to the airplane flightcrew. We are also proposing this AD to detect and correct wire chafing, which could result in arcing, fire, and/or reduced controllability of the airplane.