FAA Orders Boeing 737 Owners to Hunt for Hidden Rust
Published Date: 2/13/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
The FAA wants to keep certain Boeing 737 planes safe by checking for cracks and rust near the back drain area. Owners of older 737 models will need to do regular inspections and fix any problems found. Comments on this plan are open until March 30, 2026, and these checks help avoid costly repairs and keep flights safe.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Mandatory inspections for older 737s
If you operate Boeing Model 737-100, -200, -200C, -300, -400, or -500 airplanes, the FAA would require repetitive inspections of the fuselage skin and structure around the aft drain mast and any required repairs. For Group 1 airplanes the inspection must be done within 120 days after the effective date of the AD; Group 2 airplanes must do the specified parts of the Boeing work instructions (Parts 2 and 3) at the compliance times in the Boeing service bulletin.
Estimated inspection cost per airplane
The FAA estimates the inspection labor cost is 7 work-hours at $85 per hour, or $595 per inspection cycle per airplane. The FAA estimates this proposed AD would affect 123 U.S.-registered airplanes, totaling $73,185 per inspection cycle for U.S. operators; on-condition repair costs are not estimated.
Credit for prior inspections
If you performed the actions before the AD effective date using Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 737-53A1409 dated May 4, 2023, you would receive credit and would not need to repeat those actions for compliance. This gives operators who already completed the earlier bulletin work recognition under the proposed AD.
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Key Dates
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