FAA Proposes Boeing 757 Skin Crack Checks for Safety
Published Date: 2/11/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
The FAA wants to make sure certain Boeing 757-200 airplanes stay safe by checking for cracks in the airplane’s skin that could get worse over time. Owners will need to inspect or review maintenance records and fix any problems found. Comments on this plan are open until March 30, 2026, and these checks help keep flights safe without breaking the bank.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 5 costs, 0 mixed.
Potential major replacement labor costs
If replacements are required based on inspection results, the FAA estimates up to 1,360 work-hours at $85 per hour, or up to $115,600 labor cost per airplane; the agency has no definitive parts-cost data and cannot predict how many airplanes will need replacements.
Mandatory inspections and fixes for 757 fuselage
If you operate a Boeing Model 757-200 or -200CB, you must do a general visual inspection or a maintenance-records check for repairs of certain fuselage skin panels and perform required on-condition actions (modification or replacement) as specified in Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 757-53A0109 RB, dated September 25, 2025.
Airplanes with ≥60,000 cycles need stronger action
The FAA states that for airplanes with 60,000 total flight cycles or more, existing inspections at the S-14 lap splices are inadequate; the on-condition actions in Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 757-53A0109 RB provide final mitigation for those airplanes.
Estimated inspection cost per airplane
The FAA estimates the inspection or maintenance-records check will take 6 work-hours at $85 per hour, costing $510 per airplane and $163,200 total for the 320 U.S.-registered airplanes the agency says are affected.
Which airplanes are covered
This proposed airworthiness directive applies to The Boeing Company Model 757-200 and -200CB series airplanes, as identified in Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 757-53A0109 RB, dated September 25, 2025.
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