Airworthiness Directives; Fokker Model F.28 Mark 0070 and Mark 0100 Airplanes

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to certain Fokker Model F.28 Mark 0070 and 0100 airplanes. That AD currently requires a one-time inspection of the main landing gear (MLG) main fitting for cracks, and repair if necessary. The existing AD also currently requires installing a placard and revising the airplane flight manual to include procedures to prohibit the application of brakes during backward movement of the airplane. This new AD requires repetitive eddy current inspections of the MLG main fitting and rework before further flight as applicable. This AD results from reports that a final solution eliminating the cause of the crack initiation mechanism is not yet available and that repetitive inspections are necessary. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cracks in the MLG main fitting, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the MLG main fitting.