Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 228 / Friday, November 27, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 73957 

(or their delegated agent). You are required 

to assure the product is airworthy before it 

is returned to service. 

(h) Related Information 

Refer to MCAI European Aviation Safety 

Agency (EASA) AD No. 2015–0130, dated 

July 7, 2015; and DAHER–SOCATA TB 

Aircraft Recommended Service Bulletin SB 

10–152, dated May 2013, for related 

information. The MCAI can be found in the 

AD docket on the Internet at: http://

www.regulations.gov/

#!documentDetail;D=FAA-2015-3642-0001. 

(i) Material Incorporated by Reference 

(1) The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

(IBR) of the service information listed in this 

paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR 

part 51. 

(2) You must use this service information 

as applicable to do the actions required by 

this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise. 

(i) DAHER–SOCATA TB Aircraft 

Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 10–152, 

Amendment 1, dated April 2015. 

(ii) Reserved. 

(3) For SOCATA service information 

identified in this AD, contact SOCATA 

NORTH AMERICA, North Perry Airport, 601 

NE 10 Street, Pompano Beach, Florida 33060; 

phone: (954) 366–3331; Internet: http://

www.socatanorthamerica.com/default.htm. 

(4) You may review this referenced service 

information at the FAA, Small Airplane 

Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, 

Missouri 64106. For information on the 

availability of this material at the FAA, call 

(816) 329–4148. In addition, you can access 

this service information on the Internet at 

http://www.regulations.gov by searching for 

and locating Docket No. FAA–2015–3642. 

(5) You may view this service information 

that is incorporated by reference at the 

National Archives and Records 

Administration (NARA). For information on 

the availability of this material at NARA, call 

202–741–6030, or go to: http://

www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibrlocations.html. 

Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on 

November 17, 2015. 

Melvin Johnson, 

Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–29876 Filed 11–25–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2015–3073; Directorate 

Identifier 2015–CE–017–AD; Amendment 

39–18334; AD 2015–24–02] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Viking Air 

Limited Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for Viking 

Air Limited Model DHC–3 Airplanes. 

This AD results from mandatory 

continuing airworthiness information 

(MCAI) issued by an aviation authority 

of another country to identify and 

correct an unsafe condition on an 

aviation product. The MCAI describes 

the unsafe condition as corrugation 

cracking found at various wing stations 

and on the main spar lower cap. We are 

issuing this AD to require actions to 

address the unsafe condition on these 

products. 

DATES: This AD is effective January 4, 

2016. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of certain publications listed in the AD 

as of January 4, 2016. 

ADDRESSES: You may examine the AD 

docket on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov by searching for 

and locating Docket No. FAA–2015– 

3073; or in person at Document 

Management Facility, U.S. Department 

of Transportation, Docket Operations, 

M–30, West Building Ground Floor, 

Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

For service information identified in 

this AD, contact Viking Air Limited 

Technical Support, 1959 De Havilland 

Way, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada, 

V8L 5V5; Fax: 250–656–0673; 

telephone: (North America) 1–800–663– 

8444; email: technical.support@

vikingair.com; Internet: http://

www.vikingair.com/support/servicebulletins. You may view this referenced 

service information at the FAA, Small 

Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, 

Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For 

information on the availability of this 

material at the FAA, call (816) 329– 

4148. It is also available on the Internet 

at http://www.regulations.gov by 

searching for Docket No. FAA–2015– 

3073. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Aziz 

Ahmed, Aerospace Safety Engineer, 

FAA, New York Aircraft Certification 

Office (ACO), 1600 Steward Avenue, 

suite 410, Westbury, New York 11590; 

telephone: (516) 228–7329; fax: (516) 

794–5531; email: aziz.ahmed@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

We issued a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 

part 39 to add an AD that would apply 

to Viking Air Limited Model DHC–3 

airplane. The NPRM was published in 

the Federal Register on July 28, 2015 

(80 FR 44892). The NPRM proposed to 

correct an unsafe condition for the 

specified products and was based on 

mandatory continuing airworthiness 

information (MCAI) originated by an 

aviation authority of another country. 

The MCAI states: 

An operator found cracks on the upper 

inner wing skin corrugations emanating from 

the rib attachment points. As a result, Viking 

Air Limited released Service Bulletin (SB) 

V3/0002, Revision NC to inspect for possible 

corrugation cracking between wing stations 

34 and 110. Subsequently, operators 

discovered additional corrugation cracking at 

multiple wing stations and on the main spar 

lower cap. 

These cracks, if not detected and rectified, 

may compromise the structural integrity of 

the wing. In order to address this potentially 

unsafe condition, Viking Air Limited has 

issued SB V3/0002, Revision C, specifying 

repetitive internal borescope and visual 

inspections. This AD is issued to mandate 

compliance with that SB. 

The MCAI can be found in the AD 

docket on the Internet at: http://

www.regulations.gov/

#!documentDetail;D=FAA-2015-3073- 

0002. 

Comments 

We gave the public the opportunity to 

participate in developing this AD. The 

following presents the comment 

received on the proposal and the FAA’s 

response to the comment. 

Request From Viking 

Viking has reviewed the FAA NPRM 

(80 FR 44892, July 28, 2015) and found 

that paragraph (f)(4) is not applicable or 

relevant to Viking SB V3/0002 Revision 

C. All cycle information is with respect 

to the wing. Viking noted that it is 

important to make the distinction 

between the airplane and the wings. The 

possibility has come to Viking’s 

attention that some operators may rotate 

wings within their airplane fleet. 

Additionally, the Model DHC–3 

airplane nominal cycles to hours ratio 

used by Viking is 1.33 cycles per hour. 

In most cases, Viking would consider an 

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73958 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 228 / Friday, November 27, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 

average flight length to be 45 minutes. 

Therefore, Viking recommends that the 

calculation of the proposed AD 

paragraph (f)(4) not be part of the 

mandated actions. 

We agree and will remove paragraph 

(f)(4) of the proposed AD and state in 

paragraph (f)(1) of this AD that the 

operator may contact Viking to help 

determine wing flight cycles. We will 

also change all reference of ‘‘flight 

cycles’’ to ‘‘wing flight cycles.’’ We 

redesignated paragraph (f)(5) of the 

proposed AD as paragraph (f)(4) of this 

AD. 

Conclusion 

We reviewed the relevant data, 

considered the comment received, and 

determined that air safety and the 

public interest require adopting the AD 

with the change described previously 

and minor editorial changes. We have 

determined that these minor changes: 

• Are consistent with the intent that 

was proposed in the NPRM (80 FR 

44892, July 28, 2015) for correcting the 

unsafe condition; and 

• Do not add any additional burden 

upon the public than was already 

proposed in the NPRM (80 FR 44892, 

July 28, 2015). 

Related Service Information Under 1 

CFR Part 51 

We reviewed Viking DHC–3 Otter 

Service Bulletin No. V3/0002, Revision 

‘‘C’’, dated April 30, 2014; and Viking 

DHC–3 Otter Service Bulletin 3–STC 

(03–50)–001, Revision ‘‘NC’’, dated July 

3, 2013. The service information 

describes procedures for installing 

additional wing inspection access 

panels and inspecting the wings using 

borescope and visual methods. This 

service information is reasonably 

available because the interested parties 

have access to it through their normal 

course of business or by the means 

identified in the ADDRESSES section of 

this AD. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this AD will affect 

38 products of U.S. registry. We also 

estimate that it would take about 36 

work-hours per product to comply with 

the basic requirements of this proposed 

AD. The average labor rate is $85 per 

work-hour. Required parts would cost 

about $5,000 per product. 

Based on these figures, we estimate 

the cost of the AD on U.S. operators to 

be $306,280, or $8,060 per product. 

The scope of damage found in the 

required inspection could vary 

significantly from airplane to airplane. 

We have no way of determining how 

much damage may be found on each 

airplane or the cost to repair damaged 

parts on each airplane. 

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 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. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the AD docket on 

the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov by searching for 

and locating Docket No. FAA–2015– 

3073; or in person at the Docket 

Management Facility between 9 a.m. 

and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. The AD docket 

contains the NPRM, the regulatory 

evaluation, any comments received, and 

other information. The street address for 

the Docket Office (telephone (800) 647– 

5527) is in the ADDRESSES section. 

Comments will be available in the AD 

docket shortly after receipt. 

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 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 39 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701. 

§ 39.13 [Amended] 

■ 2. The FAA amends § 39.13 by adding 

the following new AD: 

2015–24–02 Viking Air Limited: 

Amendment 39–18334; Docket No. 

FAA–2015–3073; Directorate Identifier 

2015–CE–017–AD. 

(a) Effective Date 

This airworthiness directive (AD) becomes 

effective January 4, 2016. 

(b) Affected ADs 

None. 

(c) Applicability 

This AD applies to Viking Air Limited 

DHC–3 airplanes, all serial numbers, 

certificated in any category. 

(d) Subject 

Air Transport Association of America 

(ATA) Code 57: Wings. 

(e) Reason 

This AD was prompted by mandatory 

continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) 

originated by an aviation authority of another 

country to identify and correct an unsafe 

condition on an aviation product. The MCAI 

describes the unsafe condition as corrugation 

cracking found at various wing stations and 

on the main spar lower cap. We are issuing 

this proposed AD to detect cracking and 

correct as necessary to address the unsafe 

condition on these products. 

(f) Actions and Compliance 

Unless already done, do the following 

actions in paragraphs (f)(1) through (f)(4) of 

this AD: 

(1) Within 30 days after January 4, 2016 

(the effective date of this AD), determine the 

accumulated wing flight cycles or wing flight 

hours for each wing by contacting Technical 

Support at Viking Air Limited. You can find 

contact information for Viking Air Limited in 

paragraph (i) of this AD. 

(2) Within 30 days after January 4, 2016 

(the effective date of this AD), determine all 

installed supplemental type certificates (STC) 

or modifications affecting the wings. Based 

on the accumulated air time determined from 

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 228 / Friday, November 27, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 73959 

paragraph (f)(1) of this AD and before the 

initial inspection required in paragraph (f)(3) 

of this AD, install access panels as follows: 

(i) If the airplane is free of STCs or any 

other modifications affecting the wings, 

install additional inspection access panels 

following the Accomplishment Instructions 

Part A of Viking DHC–3 Otter Service 

Bulletin No. V3/0002, Revision ‘‘C’’, dated 

April 30, 2014. 

(ii) If the airplane is fitted with STC 

SA2009NY (which can be found on the 

internet at: http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_

and_Guidance_Library/rgstc.nsf/0/

F7309B7D9B008C588625734F00730144?

OpenDocument&Highlight=sa02009ny), 

incorporate additional inspection access 

panels following the Accomplishment 

Instructions of Viking Air Limited SB 3–STC 

(03–50)–001, Revision ‘‘NC’’, dated July 3, 

2013. 

Note 1 to paragraph (f)(2)(ii) of this AD: 

STC SA03–50 would be the Canadian 

equivalent of the United States (FAA) STC 

SA2009NY. 

(iii) If there are other STCs or 

modifications affecting the wings the 

operator must contact the FAA to request an 

FAA-approved alternative method of 

compliance using the procedures in 

paragraph (g)(1) of this AD and 14 CFR 39.19. 

To develop these procedures, we recommend 

you contact the STC holder for guidance in 

developing substantiating data. 

(3) Based on the accumulated air time on 

the wings determined in paragraph (f)(1) of 

this AD, perform initial and repetitive 

borescope and visual inspections of both the 

left-hand and right-hand wing box following 

Part B of the Accomplishment Instructions of 

Viking DHC–3 Otter Service Bulletin V3/

0002, Revision ‘‘C’’, dated April 30, 2014, 

using the inspection schedules specified in 

Table 1 of paragraph (f)(3) of this AD: 

TABLE 1 OF PARAGRAPH (f)(3) OF THIS AD—INSPECTION SCHEDULE

Effectivity Initial inspection Repetitive inspection 

If Viking Air Limited SB V3/0002, Revision ‘‘A’’, 

dated February 22, 2013; or Viking Air Limited SB V3/0002, Revision ‘‘B’’, dated July 3, 

2013; were complied with prior to January 4, 

2016 (the effective date of this AD).

The initial inspection is not required since the 

inspection was accomplished while complying with Revision ‘‘A’’ or ‘‘B’’ of Viking Air 

Limited SB V3/0002.

Repetitively inspect not to exceed every 1,600 

wing flight hours accumulated after the last 

inspection or 2,100 wing flight cycles after 

the last inspection, whichever occurs first. 

If, as of January 4, 2016 (the effective date of 

this AD), the airplane has less than 31,200 

wing flight hours.

Inspect within 800 wing flight hours after January 4, 2016 (the effective date of this AD), 

or within 6 months January 4, 2016 (the effective date of this AD), whichever occurs 

first.

Repetitively inspect not to exceed every 1,600 

wing flight hours accumulated after the last 

inspection or 2,100 wing flight cycles after 

the last inspection, whichever occurs first. 

If, as of January 4, 2016 (the effective date of 

this AD), the airplane has 31,200 wing flight 

hours or more but less than 31,600 wing 

flight hours.

Inspect upon or before accumulating 32,000 

wing flight hours or within 6 months after 

January 4, 2016 (the effective date of this 

AD), whichever occurs first.

Repetitively inspect not to exceed every 1,600 

wing flight hours accumulated after the last 

inspection or 2,100 wing flight cycles after 

the last inspection, whichever occurs first. 

If, as of January 4, 2016 (the effective date of 

this AD), the airplane has 31,600 wing flight 

hours or more.

Inspect within 400 wing flight hours accumulated after January 4, 2016 (the effective 

date of this AD) or 3 months after January 

4, 2016 (the effective date of this AD), 

whichever occurs first.

Repetitively inspect not to exceed every 1,600 

wing flight hours accumulated after the last 

inspection or 2,100 wing flight cycles after 

the last inspection, whichever occurs first. 

(4) If any cracks are found, contact 

Technical Support at Viking Air Limited for 

an FAA-approved repair and incorporate the 

repair before further flight. You can find 

contact information for Viking Air Limited in 

paragraph (i) of this AD. The FAA-approved 

repair must specifically reference this AD. 

(g) Other FAA AD Provisions 

The following provisions also apply to this 

AD: 

(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs): The Manager, Standards Office, 

FAA, has the authority to approve AMOCs 

for this AD, if requested using the procedures 

found in 14 CFR 39.19. Send information to 

ATTN: Aziz Ahmed, Aerospace Safety 

Engineer, FAA, New York Aircraft 

Certification Office (ACO), 1600 Steward 

Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, New York 

11590; telephone: (516) 228–7329; fax: (516) 

794–5531; email: aziz.ahmed@faa.gov. Before 

using any approved AMOC on any airplane 

to which the AMOC applies, notify your 

appropriate principal inspector (PI) in the 

FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), 

or lacking a PI, your local FSDO. 

(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. 

(3) Reporting Requirements: For any 

reporting requirement in this AD, a federal 

agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a 

person is not required to respond to, nor 

shall a person be subject to a penalty for 

failure to comply with a collection of 

information subject to the requirements of 

the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that 

collection of information displays a current 

valid OMB Control Number. The OMB 

Control Number for this information 

collection is 2120–0056. Public reporting for 

this collection of information is estimated to 

be approximately 5 minutes per response, 

including the time for reviewing instructions, 

completing and reviewing the collection of 

information. All responses to this collection 

of information are mandatory. Comments 

concerning the accuracy of this burden and 

suggestions for reducing the burden should 

be directed to the FAA at: 800 Independence 

Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20591, Attn: 

Information Collection Clearance Officer, 

AES–200. 

(h) Related Information 

Refer to MCAI Transport Canada AD No. 

CF–2015–05, dated March 18, 2015, for 

related information. The MCAI can be found 

in the AD docket on the Internet at: http:// 

www.regulations.gov/

#!documentDetail;D=FAA-2015-3073-0002. 

(i) Material Incorporated by Reference 

(1) The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

(IBR) of the service information listed in this 

paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR 

part 51. 

(2) You must use this service information 

as applicable to do the actions required by 

this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise. 

(i) Viking DHC–3 Otter Service Bulletin 

No. V3/0002, Revision ‘‘C’’, dated April 30, 

2014. 

(ii) Viking DHC–3 Otter Service Bulletin 3– 

STC (03–50)–001, Revision ‘‘NC’’, dated July 

3, 2013. 

(3) For Viking Air Limited service 

information identified in this AD, contact 

Viking Air Limited Technical Support, 1959 

De Havilland Way, Sidney, British Columbia, 

Canada, V8L 5V5; Fax: 250–656–0673; 

telephone: (North America) 1–800–663–8444; 

email: technical.support@vikingair.com; 

Internet: http://www.vikingair.com/support/

service-bulletins. 

(4) You may review this referenced service 

information at the FAA, Small Airplane 

Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, 

Missouri 64106. For information on the 

availability of this material at the FAA, call 

(816) 329–4148. 

(5) You may view this service information 

that is incorporated by reference at the 

National Archives and Records 

Administration (NARA). For information on 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES

73960 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 228 / Friday, November 27, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 

the availability of this material at NARA, call 

202–741–6030, or go to: http://

www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibrlocations.html. 

Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on 

November 16, 2015. 

Melvin Johnson, 

Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–29855 Filed 11–25–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2014–0928; Directorate 

Identifier 2014–NM–040–AD; Amendment 

39–18333; AD 2015–24–01] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus 

Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for all 

Airbus Model A330–200 Freighter, 

A330–200, A330–300, A340–200, A340– 

300, A340–500, and A340–600 series 

airplanes. This AD was prompted by a 

report of skin disbonding on a 

composite side panel of a rudder 

installed on an A310 airplane. This AD 

requires a review of the maintenance 

records of the rudder to determine if any 

composite side shell panel repair has 

been done; a thermography inspection 

limited to the repair areas or complete 

side shells, as applicable, to identify 

possible in-service rudder repairs, 

damages, or fluid ingress; and 

applicable related investigative and 

corrective actions. We are issuing this 

AD to detect and correct the rudder skin 

disbonding, which could affect the 

structural integrity of the rudder, and 

could result in reduced controllability 

of the airplane. 

DATES: This AD becomes effective 

January 4, 2016. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of certain publications listed in this AD 

as of January 4, 2016. 

ADDRESSES: You may examine the AD 

docket on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov/

#!docketDetail;D=FAA-2014-0928 or in 

person at the Docket Management 

Facility, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Docket Operations, M– 

30, West Building Ground Floor, Room 

W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 

Washington, DC. 

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 

airworthiness.A330-A340@airbus.com; 

Internet http://www.airbus.com. You 

may view this 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. It is also 

available on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov by searching for 

and locating Docket No. FAA–2014– 

0928. 

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 

We issued a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 

part 39 by adding an AD that would 

apply to all Airbus Model A330–200 

Freighter, A330–200, A330–300, A340– 

200, A340–300, A340–500, and A340– 

600 series airplanes. The NPRM 

published in the Federal Register on 

December 29, 2014 (79 FR 77972). 

The European Aviation Safety Agency 

(EASA), which is the Technical Agent 

for the Member States of the European 

Union, has issued EASA Airworthiness 

Directive 2014–0033, dated February 4, 

2014 (referred to after this as the 

Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness 

Information, or ‘‘the MCAI’’), to correct 

an unsafe condition for all Airbus 

Model A330–200 Freighter, A330–200, 

A330–300, A340–200, A340–300, A340– 

500, and A340–600 series airplanes. The 

MCAI states: 

A case of skin disbonding was reported on 

a composite side panel of a rudder installed 

on an A310 aeroplane. 

The investigation results revealed that this 

disbonding started from a skin panel area 

previously repaired in-service in accordance 

with the Structural Repair Manual (SRM). 

The initial damage has been identified as 

a disbonding between the core and skin of 

the repaired area. This damage may not be 

visually detectable and likely propagates 

during normal operation due to the variation 

of pressure during ground-air-ground cycles. 

Composite rudder side shell panels are also 

installed on A330 and A340 aeroplanes, 

which may have been repaired in-service 

using a similar method. 

This condition, if not detected and 

corrected, could affect the structural integrity 

of the rudder, possibly resulting in reduced 

control of the aeroplane. 

For the reasons described above, this 

[EASA] AD requires a one-time 

thermography inspection of a repaired rudder 

or a rudder whose maintenance records are 

incomplete and, depending on findings, 

accomplishment of applicable corrective and 

follow-up actions [including repetitive 

inspections]. 

The related investigative actions in 

this AD include, as applicable, an 

ultrasonic inspection, an elasticity 

laminate checker inspection, a tap test 

inspection, detailed inspections, and 

thermography inspections, and 

ventilation of the core. The repetitive 

inspections include detailed inspections 

and thermography inspections. The 

corrective actions in this AD include 

repairs. 

The compliance time for the related 

investigative actions is before further 

flight after accomplishing the applicable 

inspection required by paragraph (g)(1) 

or (g)(2)(ii) of this AD. 

The intervals for the repetitive 

inspections are either 900 flight hours or 

1,000 flight cycles, depending on the 

applicable conditions identified in the 

service information. 

The compliance times for the 

corrective actions range, depending on 

the applicable conditions identified in 

the service information, from before 

further flight to within 4,500 flight 

cycles but not to exceed 24 months after 

accomplishing the applicable inspection 

required by paragraph (g)(1) or (g)(2)(ii) 

of this AD. 

You may examine the MCAI in the 

AD docket on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov/

#!documentDetail;D=FAA-2014-0928- 

0002. 

Comments 

We gave the public the opportunity to 

participate in developing this AD. The 

following presents the comments 

received on the NPRM (79 FR 77972, 

December 29, 2014) and the FAA’s 

response to each comment. 

Request To Use the Latest Service 

Information 

American Airlines (AAL) and Delta 

Airlines (DAL) requested that we revise 

the NPRM (79 FR 77972, December 29, 

2014) to cite the latest service 

information. 

We agree with the commenters’ 

request. Airbus has issued Airbus 

Service Bulletin A330–55–3043, 

Revision 1, dated August 20, 2014, 

Airbus Service Bulletin A340–55–4039, 

Revision 1, dated August 20, 2014, and 

Airbus Service Bulletin A340–55–5007, 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES