[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 208 (Monday, October 28, 2013)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 64156-64159]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-23899]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2013-0832; Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-047-AD;
Amendment 39-17612; AD 2013-20-06]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Airplanes
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Final rule; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all
Airbus Model A340-211 -212, -213, -311, -312, -313, -541, and -642
airplanes. This AD requires revising the maintenance program to
incorporate certain maintenance requirements and airworthiness
limitations. This AD was prompted by a determination that existing
maintenance requirements are not adequate to address the unsafe
condition. We are issuing this AD to address the aging effects of
aircraft systems. Such aging effects could change the characteristics
of systems life-limited components leading to an increased potential
for failure, which, in isolation or in combination with one or more
other specific failures or events, could result in failure of certain
life limited parts, which could reduce the structural integrity or the
controllability of the airplane.
DATES: This AD becomes effective November 12, 2013.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by
reference of a certain publication listed in the AD as of November 12,
2013.
We must receive comments on this AD by December 12, 2013.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Fax: (202) 493-2251.
Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
[[Page 64157]]
For service information identified in this AD, contact Airbus SAS,
Airworthiness Office--EAL, 1 Rond Point Maurice Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac
Cedex, France; telephone +33 5 61 93 36 96; fax +33 5 61 93 45 80;
email [email protected]; Internet http://www.airbus.com. You may review copies of the referenced service
information at the FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind
Avenue SW., Renton, WA. For information on the availability of this
material at the FAA, call 425-227-1221.
Examining the AD Docket
You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov; or in person at the Docket Operations office
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. The AD docket contains this AD, the MCAI, the regulatory
evaluation, any comments received, and other information. The street
address for the Docket Operations office (telephone (800) 647-5527) is
in the ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available in the AD docket
shortly after receipt.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vladimir Ulyanov, Aerospace Engineer,
International Branch, ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA,
1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057-3356; telephone (425) 227-1138;
fax (425) 227-1149.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Discussion
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical
Agent for the Member States of the European Community, has issued EASA
Airworthiness Directive 2012-0021, dated January 30, 2012 (referred to
after this as the Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information, or
``the MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition for the specified
products. The MCAI states:
The mandatory instructions and airworthiness limitations
applicable to the Ageing Systems Maintenance (ASM) are specified in
Airbus A340 [Airworthiness Limitations Section] ALS Part 4, which is
approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
The revision 02 of Airbus A340 ALS Part 4 introduces more
restrictive maintenance requirements and/or airworthiness
limitations. Failure to comply with the instructions of ALS Part 4
could result in an unsafe condition.
This [EASA] AD requires the implementation of the maintenance
requirements and/or airworthiness limitations as specified in Airbus
A340 ALS Part 4 revision 02, approved on 12 October 2011. * * *
The unsafe condition is the aging effects of aircraft systems. Such
aging effects could change the characteristics of systems life-limited
components leading to an increased potential for failure, which, in
isolation or in combination with one or more other specific failures or
events, could result in failure of certain life limited parts, which
could reduce the structural integrity or the controllability of the
airplane. You may obtain further information by examining the MCAI in
the AD docket.
Relevant Service Information
Airbus has issued A340 Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS),
Part 4, Aging Systems Maintenance, Revision 02, dated October 12, 2011.
The actions described in this service information are intended to
correct the unsafe condition identified in the MCAI.
Related Rulemaking
Certain maintenance requirements specified in A340 ALS, Part 4--
Aging Systems Maintenance, Revision 02, dated October 12, 2011, are
already required by other ADs. Therefore, accomplishing the actions
required by this AD will terminate the requirements of the following
ADs for Model A340 airplanes.
AD 2003-14-11, Amendment 39-13230 (68 FR 41521, July 14,
2003).
AD 2004-11-08, Amendment 39-13654 (69 FR 31874, June 8,
2004).
AD 2004-13-25, Amendment 39-13707 (69 FR 41394, July 9,
2004).
AD 2004-18-14, Amendment 39-13793 (69 FR 55326, September
14, 2004).
AD 2007-05-12, Amendment 39-14973 (72 FR 10057, March 7,
2007).
AD 2008-06-07, Amendment 39-15419 (73 FR 13103, March 12,
2008; corrected April 15, 2008 (73 FR 20367)).
AD 2012-04-07, Amendment 39-16963 (77 FR 12989, March 5,
2012).
FAA's Determination and Requirements of This AD
This product has been approved by the aviation authority of another
country, and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant
to our bilateral agreement with the State of Design Authority, we have
been notified of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI and service
information referenced above. We are issuing this AD because we
evaluated all pertinent information and determined the unsafe condition
exists and is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same
type design.
This AD requires revisions to certain operator maintenance
documents to include new inspections. Compliance with these inspections
is required by 14 CFR 91.403(c). For airplanes that have been
previously modified, altered, or repaired in the areas addressed by
these inspections, the operator may not be able to accomplish the
inspections described in the revisions. In this situation, to comply
with 14 CFR 91.403(c), the operator must request approval for an
alternative method of compliance according to paragraph (j)(1) of this
AD. The request should include a description of changes to the required
inspections that will ensure the continued operational safety of the
airplane.
There are no products of this type currently registered in the
United States. However, this rule is necessary to ensure that the
described unsafe condition is addressed if any of these products are
placed on the U.S. Register in the future.
FAA's Determination of the Effective Date
Since there are currently no domestic operators of this product,
notice and opportunity for public comment before issuing this AD are
unnecessary.
Comments Invited
This AD is a final rule that involves requirements affecting flight
safety, and we did not precede it by notice and opportunity for public
comment. We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or
arguments about this AD. Send your comments to an address listed under
the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2013-0832; Directorate
Identifier 2012-NM-047-AD'' at the beginning of your comments. We
specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory, economic,
environmental, and energy aspects of this AD. We will consider all
comments received by the closing date and may amend this AD because of
those comments.
We will post all comments we receive, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. We
will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact we
receive about this AD.
Costs of Compliance
We estimate that this AD affects 0 airplanes of U.S. registry.
We estimate the following costs to comply with this AD:
[[Page 64158]]
Estimated Costs
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Cost on U.S.
Action Labor cost Parts cost Cost per product operators
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Maintenance program revision..... 2 work-hours x $85 per $0 $170 per revision.. $0
hour = $170 per
revision.
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Authority for This Rulemaking
Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA's authority to
issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, section 106, describes the
authority of the FAA Administrator. ``Subtitle VII: Aviation
Programs,'' describes in more detail the scope of the Agency's
authority.
We are issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in
``Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701: General
requirements.'' Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with
promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing
regulations for practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator
finds necessary for safety in air commerce. This regulation is within
the scope of that authority because it addresses an unsafe condition
that is likely to exist or develop on products identified in this
rulemaking action.
Regulatory Findings
We determined that this AD will not have federalism implications
under Executive Order 13132. This AD will not have a substantial direct
effect on the States, on the relationship between the national
government and the States, or on the distribution of power and
responsibilities among the various levels of government.
For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this AD:
1. Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order
12866;
2. Is not a ``significant rule'' under the DOT Regulatory Policies
and Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979);
3. Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska; and
4. Will not have a significant economic impact, positive or
negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
We prepared a regulatory evaluation of the estimated costs to
comply with this AD and placed it in the AD docket.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by
reference, Safety.
Adoption of the Amendment
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the FAA amends 14 CFR part 39 as follows:
PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
0
1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.
Sec. 39.13 [Amended]
0
2. The FAA amends Sec. 39.13 by adding the following new AD:
2013-20-06 Airbus: Amendment 39-17612. Docket No. FAA-2013-0832;
Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-047-AD.
(a) Effective Date
This airworthiness directive (AD) becomes effective November 12,
2013.
(b) Affected ADs
This AD affects the ADs specified in paragraphs (b)(1) through
(b)(7) of this AD:
(1) AD 2003-14-11, Amendment 39-13230 (68 FR 41521, July 14,
2003);
(2) AD 2004-11-08, Amendment 39-13654 (69 FR 31874, June 8,
2004);
(3) AD 2004-13-25, Amendment 39-13707 (69 FR 41394, July 9,
2004);
(4) AD 2004-18-14, Amendment 39-13793 (69 FR 55326, September
14, 2004);
(5) AD 2007-05-12, Amendment 39-14973 (72 FR 10057, March 7,
2007);
(6) AD 2008-06-07, Amendment 39-15419 (73 FR 13103, March 12,
2008; corrected April 15, 2008 (73 FR 20367)); and
(7) AD 2012-04-07, Amendment 39-16963 (77 FR 12989, March 5,
2012).
(c) Applicability
This AD applies to Airbus Model A340-211, -212, -213, -311, -
312, -313, -541, and -642 airplanes; certificated in any category;
all manufacturer serial numbers.
(d) Subject
Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 05, Time Limits/
Maintenance Checks.
(e) Reason
This AD was prompted by a determination that existing
maintenance requirements are not adequate to address the unsafe
condition. We are issuing this AD to address the aging effects of
aircraft systems. Such aging effects could change the
characteristics of systems life-limited components leading to an
increased potential for failure, which, in isolation or in
combination with one or more other specific failures or events,
could result in failure of certain life limited parts, which could
reduce the structural integrity or the controllability of the
airplane.
(f) Compliance
You are responsible for having the actions required by this AD
performed within the compliance times specified, unless the actions
have already been done.
(g) Maintenance Program Revision
Within 6 months after the effective date of this AD, revise the
maintenance program by incorporating A340 Airworthiness Limitations
Section (ALS), Part 4--Aging Systems Maintenance, Revision 02, dated
October 12, 2011. Comply with all applicable instructions and
airworthiness limitations included in A340 ALS, Part 4--Aging
Systems Maintenance, Revision 02, dated October 12, 2011. The
initial compliance times for the actions are within the applicable
compliance times specified in the Record of Revisions pages of A340
ALS, Part 4--Aging Systems Maintenance, Revision 02, dated October
12, 2011, or within 6 months after the effective date of this AD,
whichever is later.
(h) Alternative Actions or Intervals
After accomplishing the revision required by paragraph (g) of
this AD, no alternative actions (e.g., inspections) or intervals may
be used unless the actions or intervals are approved as an
alternative method of compliance (AMOC) in accordance with the
procedures specified in paragraph (j)(1) of this AD.
(i) Terminating Action for Other ADs
Accomplishing the revision of the maintenance program and
complying with all applicable instructions and airworthiness
limitations required by paragraph (g) of this AD terminates the
requirements of the ADs specified in paragraphs (i)(1) through
(i)(7) of this AD for Model A340 airplanes only.
(1) AD 2003-14-11, Amendment 39-13230 (68 FR 41521, July 14,
2003).
(2) AD 2004-11-08, Amendment 39-13654 (69 FR 31874, June 8,
2004).
(3) AD 2004-13-25, Amendment 39-13707 (69 FR 41394, July 9,
2004).
(4) AD 2004-18-14, Amendment 39-13793 (69 FR 55326, September
14, 2004).
(5) AD 2007-05-12, Amendment 39-14973 (72 FR 10057, March 7,
2007).
(6) AD 2008-06-07, Amendment 39-15419 (73 FR 13103, March 12,
2008; corrected April 15, 2008 (73 FR 20367)).
(7) AD 2012-04-07, Amendment 39-16963 (77 FR 12989, March 5,
2012).
(j) Other FAA AD Provisions
The following provisions also apply to this AD:
(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager,
International
[[Page 64159]]
Branch, ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, has the
authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using the
procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. In accordance with 14 CFR 39.19,
send your request to your principal inspector or local Flight
Standards District Office, as appropriate. If sending information
directly to the International Branch, send it to ATTN: Vladimir
Ulyanov, Aerospace Engineer, International Branch, ANM-116,
Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton,
WA 98057-3356; telephone (425) 227-1138; fax (425) 227-1149.
Information may be emailed to: [email protected].
Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate principal
inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager of the
local flight standards district office/certificate holding district
office. The AMOC approval letter must specifically reference this
AD.
(2) Airworthy Product: For any requirement in this AD to obtain
corrective actions from a manufacturer or other source, use these
actions if they are FAA-approved. Corrective actions are considered
FAA-approved if they are approved by the State of Design Authority
(or their delegated agent). You are required to assure the product
is airworthy before it is returned to service.
(k) Related Information
(1) Refer to Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information
(MCAI) European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Airworthiness
Directive 2012-0021, dated January 30, 2012, for related
information. You may examine the MCAI on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating it in Docket No.
FAA-2013-0832.
(2) Service information identified in this AD that is not
incorporated by reference may be obtained at the addresses specified
in paragraphs (l)(3) and (l)(4) of this AD.
(l) Material Incorporated by Reference
(1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the
incorporation by reference (IBR) of the following service
information under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
(2) You must use the following service information to do the
actions required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
(i) A340 Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS), Part 4--Aging
Systems Maintenance, Revision 02, dated October 12, 2011. The
revision date is not identified on the title page of this document.
(ii) Reserved.
(3) For service information identified in this AD, contact
Airbus SAS, Airworthiness Office--EAL, 1 Rond Point Maurice
Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac Cedex, France; telephone +33 5 61 93 36 96;
fax +33 5 61 93 45 80; email [email protected];
Internet http://www.airbus.com.
(4) You may review copies of the service information at the FAA,
Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton,
Washington. For information on the availability of this material at
the FAA, call 425-227-1221.
(5) You may also review copies of the service information that
is incorporated by reference at the National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this
material at an NARA facility, call 202-741-6030, or go to http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on September 17, 2013.
Ross Landes,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-23899 Filed 10-25-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P