Airworthiness Directives; Boeing Model 747-400, 747-400D, and 747-400F Series Airplanes

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to all Boeing Model 747-400, 747-400D, and 747-400F series airplanes. That AD currently requires reviewing airplane maintenance records, doing repetitive inspections for cracking of the yaw damper actuator portion of the upper and lower rudder power control modules (PCMs), replacing the PCMs if necessary, and reporting all airplane maintenance records review and inspection results to the manufacturer. This new AD limits the applicability, reduces the initial inspection threshold and repetitive interval, removes the reporting requirement, and requires installation of a secondary retention device for the yaw damper modulating piston. Installation of the secondary retention device terminates the repetitive inspection requirements. This AD results from additional reports of failure or cracking of the PCM manifold in the area of the yaw damper cavity endcap at intervals well below the initial inspection threshold of the existing AD. We are issuing this AD to prevent an uncommanded left rudder hardover in the event of cracking in the yaw damper actuator portion of the upper or lower rudder PCMs, and subsequent failure of the PCM manifold, which could result in increased pilot workload, and possible runway departure upon landing.