# 2026-19255: FAA Mandates Boeing 737 Elevator Bearing Inspections

2026-19255, Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes, is a Federal Register proposed rule from Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration published 2026-09-21, effective The FAA must receive comments on this proposed AD by November 5, 2026.; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-28).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19255
- As of: 2026-09-28
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-19255
- Title: Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes
- Type: Proposed Rule
- Agencies: Transportation Department; Federal Aviation Administration
- Citation: 91 FR 59708
- Published: 2026-09-21
- Effective: The FAA must receive comments on this proposed AD by November 5, 2026.
- Comments close: 2026-11-05
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: 2120-AA64
- Last updated: 2026-09-28

## In one line

FAA Mandates Boeing 737 Elevator Bearing Inspections

## Summary

The FAA wants to make sure certain Boeing 737-8, 737-9, and 737-8200 planes are super safe by checking if some elevator parts were put together right. They’re asking for inspections to spot cracks or missing sealant on bearings and fixing any problems found. Plane owners need to act soon, with comments due by November 5, 2026, and this could mean some inspection costs but keeps flights safe and sound.

## Abstract

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 737-8, 737-9, and 737-8200 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report that bearings in the elevator buss assembly could have been installed incorrectly (including being installed without the application of sealant) during production. This proposed AD would require detailed inspections of the elevator buss assembly bearings and bearing housings for any crack and indication of sealant application, and applicable on-condition actions. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

## Effects PRIA read

- Mandatory 737 elevator bearing inspections: cost, high. If you operate Boeing Model 737-8, 737-9, or 737-8200 airplanes, the FAA proposes required detailed inspections of the elevator buss assembly bearings and bearing housings per Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 737-27A1331 RB (dated December 17, 2025). The FAA estimates this inspection takes 23 wor…
- Potential repair and replacement costs: cost, high. If inspections find problems, operators may incur on-condition costs: a push-out load test estimated at $85; bearing replacements estimated at $1,105, $1,170, or $1,809 depending on part number; or replacing an elevator buss assembly at an estimated $98,496. The FAA states it cannot predict how man…
- Addresses unsafe elevator condition: benefit, high. The FAA says bearings may have been installed incorrectly or without sealant, which can cause cracking and premature failure of elevator buss assembly crank arms. Fixing this unsafe condition is intended to prevent impacts to elevator pitch control that could affect continued safe flight and landin…

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## Sources
- [2026-19255 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/21/2026-19255/airworthiness-directives-the-boeing-company-airplanes)
- [2026-19255 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-09-21/pdf/2026-19255.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-19254, Great Lakes Pilotage Rates-2027 Annual Review and Revisions to Methodology](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19254)
- [Next: 2026-19259, Proxy Solicitation Modernization](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19259)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19255 (as of 2026-09-28).