This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

64260

Vol. 69, No. 213

Thursday, November 4, 2004

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA–2004–19527; Directorate 

Identifier 2004–NM–71–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model 

A310 Series Airplanes; and Model 

A300 B4–600, B4–600R, and F4–600R 

Series Airplanes, and Model C4 605R 

Variant F Airplanes (Collectively Called 

A300–600)

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a 

new airworthiness directive (AD) for 

certain Airbus Model A310 series 

airplanes; and Model A300 B4–600, B4–

600R, and F4–600R series airplanes, and 

Model C4 605R Variant F airplanes 

(collectively called A300–600). This 

proposed AD would require relocating 

contactor 9DG located at rack (relay box) 

107VU and adding protective sleeves to 

the two wire (cable) looms near the door 

hinge of rack 107VU. This proposed AD 

is prompted by reports that interference 

was noticed during production between 

the wire looms located near the door 

hinge of rack 107VU and the terminals 

of contactor 9DG. We are proposing this 

AD to prevent possible short circuits in 

the wire looms supplying the fuel pump 

systems and the pitot probe heating 

system, which could lead to a possible 

loss of function of flight-critical systems 

and reduced controllability of the 

airplane.

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by December 6, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Use one of the following 

addresses to submit comments on this 

proposed AD. 

• DOT Docket Web site: Go to

http://dms.dot.gov and follow the 

instructions for sending your comments 

electronically. 

• Government-wide rulemaking Web 

site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov

and follow the instructions for sending 

your comments electronically. 

• Mail: Docket Management Facility, 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 

Seventh Street SW., Nassif Building, 

room PL–401, Washington, DC 20590. 

• By fax: (202) 493–2251. 

• Hand Delivery: Room PL–401 on 

the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 

400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, 

DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

For service information identified in 

this proposed AD, contact Airbus, 1 

Rond Point Maurice Bellonte, 31707 

Blagnac Cedex, France. 

You can examine the contents of this 

AD docket on the Internet at http://

dms.dot.gov, or in person at the Docket 

Management Facility, U.S. Department 

of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street 

SW., room PL–401, on the plaza level of 

the Nassif Building, Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Technical information: Dan Rodina, 

Aerospace Engineer, International 

Branch, ANM–116, FAA, Transport 

Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind 

Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 

98055–4056; telephone (425) 227–2125; 

fax (425) 227–1149. 

Plain language information: Marcia 

Walters, marcia.walters@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Docket Management System (DMS) 

The FAA has implemented new 

procedures for maintaining AD dockets 

electronically. As of May 17, 2004, new 

AD actions are posted on DMS and 

assigned a docket number. We track 

each action and assign a corresponding 

directorate identifier. The DMS AD 

docket number is in the form ‘‘Docket 

No. FAA–2004–99999.’’ The Transport 

Airplane Directorate identifier is in the 

form ‘‘Directorate Identifier 2004–NM–

999–AD.’’ Each DMS AD docket also 

lists the directorate identifier (‘‘Old 

Docket Number’’) as a cross-reference 

for searching purposes. 

Comments Invited 

We invite you to submit any relevant 

written data, views, or arguments 

regarding this proposed AD. Send your 

comments to an address listed under 

ADDRESSES. Include ‘‘Docket No. FAA–

2004–19527; Directorate Identifier 

2004–NM–71–AD’’ at the beginning of 

your comments. We specifically invite 

comments on the overall regulatory, 

economic, environmental, and energy 

aspects of the proposed AD. We will 

consider all comments submitted by the 

closing date and may amend the 

proposed AD in light of those 

comments. 

We will post all comments we 

receive, without change, to http://

dms.dot.gov, including any personal 

information you provide. We will also 

post a report summarizing each 

substantive verbal contact with FAA 

personnel concerning this proposed AD. 

Using the search function of our docket 

website, anyone can find and read the 

comments in any of our dockets, 

including the name of the individual 

who sent the comment (or signed the 

comment on behalf of an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). You can 

review the DOT’s complete Privacy Act 

Statement in the Federal Register

published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 

19477–78), or you can visit http://

dms.dot.gov.

We are reviewing the writing style we 

currently use in regulatory documents. 

We are interested in your comments on 

whether the style of this document is 

clear, and your suggestions to improve 

the clarity of our communications that 

affect you. You can get more 

information about plain language at 

http://www.faa.gov/language and http://

www.plainlanguage.gov.

Examining the Docket 

You can examine the AD docket on 

the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov, or in 

person at the Docket Management 

Facility office between 9 a.m. and 5 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. The Docket 

Management Facility office (telephone 

(800) 647–5227) is on the plaza level of 

the Nassif Building at the DOT street 

address stated in the ADDRESSES section. 

Comments will be available in the AD 

docket shortly after the DMS receives 

them. 

Discussion 

The Direction Ge ́ne ́rale de l’Aviation 

Civile (DGAC), which is the 

airworthiness authority for France, 

notified us that an unsafe condition may 

exist on certain Airbus Model A310 

series airplanes; and Model A300 B4–

600, B4–600R, and F4–600R series 

airplanes, and Model C4 605R Variant F 

airplanes (collectively called A300–

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 213 / Thursday, November 4, 2004 / Proposed Rules 64261

600). The DGAC advises that it has 

received reports that interference was 

noticed during production between two 

wire (cable) looms located near the door 

hinge of rack (relay box) 107VU and the 

terminals of contactor 9DG located at 

rack 107VU. This condition could also 

be present on any airplane that has 

embodied in service any revision of 

Airbus Service Bulletin A310–30–2030 

or Service Bulletin A300–30–6017. This 

condition, if not corrected, could result 

in short circuits in the wire looms 

supplying the fuel pump systems and 

the pitot probe heating system, which 

could lead to a possible loss of function 

and reduced controllability of the 

airplane. 

Relevant Service Information 

Airbus has issued Service Bulletin 

A310–24–2087 (for Model A310 series 

airplanes); and Service Bulletin A300–

24–6081 (for Model A300 B4–600, B4–

600R, and F4–600R series airplanes; and 

Model C4 605R Variant F airplanes 

(collectively called A300–600)); both 

Revision 01, both dated December 18, 

2003. The service bulletins describe 

procedures for relocating contactor 9DG 

and adding protective sleeves to the two 

wire looms located near the door hinge 

of rack 107VU. Accomplishing the 

actions specified in the service 

information is intended to adequately 

address the unsafe condition. The 

DGAC mandated the service information 

and issued French airworthiness 

directive F–2003–412, dated November 

12, 2003, to ensure the continued 

airworthiness of these airplanes in 

France. 

FAA’s Determination and Requirements 

of the Proposed AD 

These airplane models are 

manufactured in France and are type 

certificated for operation in the United 

States under the provisions of section 

21.29 of the Federal Aviation 

Regulations (14 CFR 21.29) and the 

applicable bilateral airworthiness 

agreement. Pursuant to this bilateral 

airworthiness agreement, the DGAC has 

kept the FAA informed of the situation 

described above. We have examined the 

DGAC’s findings, evaluated all pertinent 

information, and determined that we 

need to issue an AD for products of this 

type design that are certificated for 

operation in the United States. 

Therefore, we are proposing this AD, 

which would require accomplishing the 

actions specified in the service 

information described previously. 

Costs of Compliance 

This proposed AD would affect about 

167 airplanes of U.S. registry. The 

proposed actions would take about 3 

work hours per airplane, at an average 

labor rate of $65 per work hour. 

Required parts would cost about $290 

per airplane. Based on these figures, the 

estimated cost of the proposed AD for 

U.S. operators is $80,995, or $485 per 

airplane. 

Regulatory Findings 

We have determined that this 

proposed AD would not have federalism 

implications under Executive Order 

13132. This proposed AD would 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 the proposed regulation: 

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); and 

3. 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 proposed AD. See the ADDRESSES

section for a location to examine the 

regulatory evaluation.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation 

safety, Safety.

The Proposed Amendment 

Accordingly, under the authority 

delegated to me by the Administrator, 

the FAA proposes to amend 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 airworthiness 

directive (AD):

Airbus: Docket No. FAA–2004–19527; 

Directorate Identifier 2004–NM–71–AD. 

Comments Due Date 

(a) The Federal Aviation Administration 

must receive comments on this AD action by 

December 6, 2004. 

Affected ADs 

(b) None. 

Applicability 

(c) This AD applies to Airbus Model A310 

series airplanes, as listed in Airbus Service 

Bulletin A310–24–2087, Revision 01, dated 

December 18, 2003; and Model A300 B4–600, 

B4–600R, and F4–600R series airplanes, and 

Model C4 605R Variant F airplanes 

(collectively called A300–600), as listed in 

Airbus Service Bulletin A300–24–6081, 

Revision 01, dated December 18, 2003; 

certificated in any category. 

Unsafe Condition 

(d) This AD was prompted by reports that 

interference was noticed during production 

between two wire (cable) looms located near 

the door hinge of rack (relay box) 107VU and 

the terminals of contactor 9DG located at rack 

107VU. We are issuing this AD to prevent 

possible short circuits in the wire looms 

supplying the fuel pump systems and the 

pitot probe heating system, which could lead 

to a possible loss of function and reduced 

controllability of the airplane. 

Compliance 

(e) You are responsible for having the 

actions required by this AD performed within 

the compliance times specified, unless the 

actions have already been done. 

Relocation of Contactor and Addition of 

Protective Sleeves 

(f) Within 12 months after the effective 

date of this AD, relocate contactor 9DG 

located at rack 107VU and add protective 

sleeves to the two wire looms located at the 

door hinge of rack 107VU, by doing all 

actions in accordance with the 

Accomplishment Instructions of Airbus 

Service Bulletin A310–24–2087, Revision 01 

(for Model A310 series airplanes); or Service 

Bulletin A300–24–6081, Revision 01 (for 

Model A300–600 series airplanes); both 

dated December 18, 2003; as applicable. 

Actions Accomplished per Previous Issue of 

Service Bulletins 

(g) Actions accomplished before the 

effective date of this AD in accordance with 

Airbus Service Bulletin A310–24–2087; or 

Airbus Service Bulletin A300–24–6081; both 

dated June 7, 2002; are considered acceptable 

for compliance with the corresponding 

actions specified in paragraph (f) of this AD. 

Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(h) The Manager, International Branch, 

ANM–116, Transport Airplane Directorate, 

FAA, has the authority to approve AMOCs 

for this AD, if requested in accordance with 

the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. 

Related Information 

(i) French airworthiness directive F–2003–

412, dated November 12, 2003, also 

addresses the subject of this AD.

Issued in Renton, Washington, on October 

21, 2004. 

Kalene C. Yanamura, 

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 04–24633 Filed 11–3–04; 8:45 am] 

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