FAA Issues AD for Boeing Jet Fuselage Cracks

New airworthiness directive targets 737-8, 737-9, and 737-8200 models following reports of fatigue cracks near door cutouts.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, August 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A Boeing 737-9 undergoing test flights at Paine Field in Seattle. [Credit: AirlineGeeks/Katie Zera]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is implementing a new Airworthiness Directive (AD) for Boeing 737-8, 737-9, and 737-8200 airplanes.
This AD is prompted by the discovery of cracks on the "bear strap," a structural metal sheet reinforcing the fuselage skin around door cutouts.
The directive mandates inspections of the fuselage skin and bear strap to prevent potential compromise of the aircraft's structural integrity.
Approximately 471 aircraft will be affected by this AD, which becomes effective on September 10.

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The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Boeing 737-8, 737-9, and 737-8200 airplanes stemming from the discovery of cracks on the structural metal sheet that reinforces the fuselage skin around door cutouts.

According to the AD, the agency received reports of cracks in this metal known as the “bear strap” at the forward galley door cutout. The AD requires an inspection of the fuselage skin for existing repairs and applicable on-condition actions.