The US Federal Aviation Administration is proposing to issue eight additional airworthiness directives (ADs) calling on the inspection of Boeing MD-11 electrical system wiring. The move follows the 1998 crash of a Swissair MD-11 near Halifax, Nova Scotia. An electrical fire is suspected.
The FAA says that the ADs are unrelated to the accident, although it is believed they come as part of the increased scrutiny on the type's electrical systems.
The FAA will give MD-11 operators up to a year from the effective date of the final rules to complete the component checks. One AD calls for a one-time detailed visual inspection of electrical connections and circuit breakers. This follows reports that the rating of certain circuit breakers of a particular in-flight video entertainment system exceed the ratings of their associated electrical connector contacts, allowing for possible arcing and heat damage.
Source: Flight International
