{"id":"F2008L01914","name":"AD/B737/328 - Flight Deck Windows No.2, No.4, and No.5","slug":"ad-b737-328-flight-deck-windows-no-2-no-4-and-no-5","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":74139,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2008L01914-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Boeing 737 Series Aeroplanes","sectionType":"division","heading":"Boeing 737 Series Aeroplanes","content":"### Boeing 737 Series Aeroplanes\n\n| AD/B737/328 | Flight Deck Windows No.2, No.4, and No.5 | 7/2008 |\n| ----------- | ---------------------------------------- | ------ |\n\n| Applicability: | All Model 737-100, -200, -200C, -300, -400, and -500 series aircraft.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |\n| -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| Requirement:   | Action in accordance with the technical requirements of FAA AD 2008-09-15 Amdt 39-15496.Note: Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 737-56A1023, dated 24 May 2007, or later FAA approved revision, refers.                                                                                                                                                                                |\n| Compliance:    | As specified in the Requirement document, with a revised effective date of3 July 2008.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |\n|                | This Airworthiness Directive becomes effective on 3 July 2008.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |\n| Background:    | The FAA received reports of in-flight departure and separation of certain flight deck windows. This Directive requires inspections to detect and correct cracking in the vinyl interlayer or damage to the structural inner glass panes of flight deck windows No. 2, No. 4, and No.5. Such cracking and damage could result in loss of a window and rapid loss of cabin pressure. |\n\n![](image.001.png)  \nDavid Villiers  \nDelegate of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority\n\n16 May 2008","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"AD/B737/328","sectionType":"part","heading":"AD/B737/328","content":"## AD/B737/328","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"Flight Deck Windows No.2, No.4, and No.5","sectionType":"part","heading":"Flight Deck Windows No.2, No.4, and No.5","content":"## Flight Deck Windows No.2, No.4, and No.5","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"7/2008","sectionType":"part","heading":"7/2008","content":"## 7/2008","sortOrder":3}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a standard, narrow airworthiness directive addressing a specific safety defect in specific aircraft models. It has not expanded beyond its original purpose of mandating window inspections."},"complexity_factors":["Very short document (under 300 words)","Only 1 defined term implicitly ('Requirement' references external FAA document)","No cross-references to other Australian legislation","Simple conditional structure: inspect and repair if damage found","Single compliance date with no exceptions or alternative methods stated","Relies entirely on external technical document (FAA AD 2008-09-15) for actual inspection procedures"],"plain_english_summary":"This CASA Airworthiness Directive mandates inspection and repair of specific flight‑deck windows on older Boeing 737 series (‑100 through ‑500). Operators and maintenance crews must follow the FAA’s corresponding technical requirements to detect and fix vinyl interlayer cracking or inner glass damage. It’s urgent because cracked windows can separate in flight, risking rapid decompression and passenger safety."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The directive is narrowly targeted to inspect and repair specific flight deck windows on specified Boeing 737 models to mitigate a reported in‑flight window separation hazard. It does not broaden the subject matter beyond that original safety purpose or add unrelated obligations; it instead adopts external technical guidance for execution."},"complexity_factors":["Short, single-issue instrument focused on inspection/repair of specific windows","Relies on external technical documents (FAA AD 2008-09-15 and Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 737-56A1023) for procedural detail","Applies to a set list of aircraft models (-100 through -500 series)","Compliance conditional on later FAA-approved revisions (delegates ongoing technical change to FAA/Boeing)","Clear effective date and straightforward compliance trigger (inspection/correct defects), with limited internal exceptions or nested conditions"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanically)**\n\n- This is an airworthiness directive that requires operators of certain Boeing 737 aeroplanes (models -100, -200, -200C, -300, -400 and -500) to inspect flight deck windows No. 2, No. 4 and No. 5 and to fix any cracking or damage found.  \n- The directive does not set out the detailed inspection and repair steps itself; it adopts the technical requirements of FAA Airworthiness Directive 2008-09-15 and refers to Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 737-56A1023 (dated 24 May 2007) or any later FAA‑approved revision.  \n- The AD becomes effective 3 July 2008 and requires compliance in the manner and within the timeframes specified in the FAA AD / Boeing service bulletin.\n\n**Why the rule exists (official rationale)**\n\n- The FAA had reports of flight deck windows separating in flight. The directive’s stated safety concern is that cracking in the vinyl interlayer or damage to the structural inner glass panes of specified windows could lead to a window coming out and a rapid loss of cabin pressure. The AD is intended to detect and correct that cracking or damage.\n\n**Who it affects and who pays**\n\n- Directly affected: operators (airlines, charter companies, owners) of the listed Boeing 737 models and their maintenance organisations.  \n- Who pays: the operator pays for inspections, parts and any necessary repairs or window replacements, plus aircraft downtime while work is done. Maintenance organisations (in-house or third‑party) incur labour and resource costs to carry out the inspections and repairs.\n\n**How behaviour changes**\n\n- Operators must schedule and perform the required inspections on the specified windows within the times required by the FAA AD/Boeing service bulletin and must carry out corrective action when defects are found. Records and proof of compliance will be kept as part of airworthiness and maintenance records, and regulators may verify compliance.\n\n**Practical implementation and trade-offs**\n\n- The AD delegates the technical detail to the FAA AD and Boeing service bulletin. That reduces the text here but means operators must follow those external technical documents.  \n- Costs and opportunity cost: inspections and repairs create direct maintenance costs and potential revenue loss from aircraft downtime. Those are concentrated on the operators; benefits (reduced risk of window failure) are diffuse across passengers, crew and the operator’s continued serviceability.  \n- Market effects: demand for certified maintenance labour and replacement windows will rise for affected models while the AD is enforced. This can benefit independent or airline-affiliated MROs that are approved to perform the work. If particular parts or procedures are tied to Boeing’s bulletin, operators may have a practical preference for Boeing‑approved suppliers or approved repair stations, which can affect procurement choices.  \n- Implementation risks: compliance depends on timely access to parts and qualified personnel; if parts are scarce or inspections reveal many damaged windows, operators may face scheduling bottlenecks and longer aircraft downtime.  \n- Regulatory discretion: CASA’s instrument adopts the FAA/Boeing requirements (and allows later FAA‑approved revisions), so ongoing technical changes are governed by FAA approvals and Boeing service bulletins rather than new Australian rulemaking.\n\n**Compliance burden and enforcement**\n\n- The burden is primarily administrative and operational (inspections, possible repairs, recordkeeping). Failure to comply with an AD can render an aircraft unairworthy and expose operators to regulatory enforcement.  \n\n**Bottom line**\n\n- The AD imposes a targeted, safety-driven inspection-and-repair obligation on operators of early-model Boeing 737s for specific flight deck windows, relying on FAA and Boeing technical instructions for the how-to. Operators bear the costs and must adjust maintenance planning to meet the required inspections and corrective actions."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/ad-b737-328-flight-deck-windows-no-2-no-4-and-no-5","history":"/api/acts/ad-b737-328-flight-deck-windows-no-2-no-4-and-no-5/history","analysis":"/api/acts/ad-b737-328-flight-deck-windows-no-2-no-4-and-no-5/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/ad-b737-328-flight-deck-windows-no-2-no-4-and-no-5/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/ad-b737-328-flight-deck-windows-no-2-no-4-and-no-5/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/ad-b737-328-flight-deck-windows-no-2-no-4-and-no-5/documents"}}