7596 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 2014 / Proposed Rules 

AD specifies the grace period after the 

effective date of this AD. 

(2) Where Airbus Mandatory Service 

Bulletin A300–53–6042, Revision 03, dated 

August 30, 2012, specifies a compliance time 

‘‘after receipt of this service bulletin,’’ this 

AD requires compliance within the specified 

compliance time after the effective date of 

this AD. 

(k) Credit for Previous Actions 

This paragraph provides credit for the 

corresponding actions required by paragraph 

(g) of this AD, if those actions were 

performed before the effective date of this AD 

using Airbus Service Bulletin A300–53–6042, 

Revision 01, dated February 20, 1995; or 

Airbus Service Bulletin A300–53–6042, 

Revision 02, dated April 28, 1998; which are 

not incorporated by reference in this AD. 

(l) Other FAA AD Provisions 

The following provisions also apply to this 

AD: 

(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs): The Manager, International 

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: 

Dan Rodina, Aerospace Engineer, 

International Branch, ANM–116, Transport 

Airplane Directorate, FAA, 1601 Lind 

Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057–3356; 

telephone 425–227–2125; fax 425–227–1149. 

Information may be emailed to: 9-ANM-116- 

AMOC-REQUESTS@faa.gov. 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. AMOCs 

approved for AD 98–13–23, Amendment 39– 

10614 (63 FR 34576, June 25, 1998), are 

approved as AMOCs for the corresponding 

requirements of this AD. 

(2) Airworthy Product: For any requirement 

in this AD to obtain corrective actions from 

a manufacturer, use these actions if they are 

FAA approved. Corrective actions are 

considered FAA-approved if they were 

approved by the State of Design Authority (or 

its delegated agent, or the Design Approval 

Holder with a State of Design Authority’s 

design organization approval, as applicable). 

You are required to ensure the product is 

airworthy before it is returned to service. 

(m) Related Information 

(1) Refer to Mandatory Continuing 

Airworthiness Information (MCAI) European 

Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) 

Airworthiness Directive 2013–0048, dated 

March 4, 2013, for related information. This 

MCAI may be found in the AD docket on the 

Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by 

searching for and locating it in Docket No. 

FAA–2014–0011. 

(2) For service information identified in 

this AD, contact Airbus SAS, Airworthiness 

Office—EAW, 1 Rond Point Maurice 

Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac Cedex, France; 

telephone +33 5 61 93 36 96; fax +33 5 61 

93 44 51; email account.airworth-eas@

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. 

Issued in Renton, Washington, on January 

27, 2014. 

Jeffrey E. Duven, 

Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–02711 Filed 2–7–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2014–0004; Directorate 

Identifier 2013–NM–143–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives: Airbus 

Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 

Airbus Model A320–111, –211, –212, 

and –231 airplanes. This proposed AD 

was prompted by reports of broken 

struts of the center wing box (CWB). 

This proposed AD would require a 

detailed inspection of the CWB struts 

for cracking, and repair if necessary. We 

are proposing this AD to detect and 

correct cracked or broken struts, which 

could result in strut failure and 

consequent reduced structural integrity 

of the airplane. 

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by March 27, 2014. 

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. 

For service information identified in 

this proposed AD, contact Airbus, 

Airworthiness Office—EAS, 1 Rond 

Point Maurice Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac 

Cedex, France; telephone +33 5 61 93 36 

96; fax +33 5 61 93 44 51; email 

account.airworth-eas@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. 

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–2014– 

0004; 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 this proposed AD, 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: 

Sanjay Ralhan, Aerospace Engineer, 

International Branch, ANM–116, 

Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 

1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 

98057–3356; phone: 425–227–1405; fax: 

425–227–1149. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

We invite you to send any written 

relevant data, views, or arguments about 

this proposed AD. Send your comments 

to an address listed under the 

ADDRESSES section. Include ‘‘Docket No. 

FAA–2014–0004; Directorate Identifier 

2013–NM–143–AD’’ at the beginning of 

your comments. We specifically invite 

comments on the overall regulatory, 

economic, environmental, and energy 

aspects of this proposed AD. We will 

consider all comments received by the 

closing date and may amend this 

proposed AD based on 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 proposed AD. 

Discussion 

The European Aviation Safety Agency 

(EASA), which is the Technical Agent 

for the Member States of the European 

Community, has issued EASA 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 2014 / Proposed Rules 7597 

Airworthiness Directive 2013–0149, 

dated July 16, 2013 (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: 

Two cases of broken Centre Wing Box 

(CWB) struts have been reported on A320 

aeroplanes. Investigation results indicated 

that strut thickness in the crack initiation 

area was lower than specified in the 

production drawings. Only a limited batch of 

aeroplanes is affected by this manufacturing 

defect. 

This condition, if not corrected, could 

result in strut failure, reducing the residual 

life of the remaining struts to below the 

initial Design Service Goal, which would 

deteriorate the structural integrity of the 

aeroplane. 

For the reasons described above, this 

[EASA] AD requires repetitive Detailed 

Visual inspections (DVI) of the lower and 

upper ends of the CWB struts to detect cracks 

and, depending on findings, accomplishment 

of associated corrective actions [repair]. 

You may examine the MCAI in the AD 

docket on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov by searching for 

and locating it in Docket No. FAA– 

2014–0004. 

Relevant Service Information 

Airbus has Service Bulletin A320–57– 

1149, Revision 01, dated February 12, 

2013. The actions described in this 

service information are intended to 

correct the unsafe condition identified 

in the MCAI. 

FAA’s Determination and Requirements 

of This Proposed 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 proposing this 

AD because we evaluated all pertinent 

information and determined an unsafe 

condition exists and is likely to exist or 

develop on other products of the same 

type design. 

In many FAA transport ADs, when 

the service information specifies to 

contact the manufacturer for further 

instructions if certain discrepancies are 

found, we typically include in the AD 

a requirement to accomplish the action 

using a method approved by either the 

FAA or the State of Design Authority (or 

its delegated agent). 

We have recently been notified that 

certain laws in other countries do not 

allow such delegation of authority, but 

some countries do recognize design 

approval organizations. In addition, we 

have become aware that some U.S. 

operators have used repair instructions 

that were previously approved by a 

State of Design Authority or a Design 

Approval Holder (DAH) as a method of 

compliance with this provision in FAA 

ADs. Frequently, in these cases, the 

previously approved repair instructions 

come from the airplane structural repair 

manual or the DAH repair approval 

statements that were not specifically 

developed to address the unsafe 

condition corrected by the AD. Using 

repair instructions that were not 

specifically approved for a particular 

AD creates the potential for doing 

repairs that were not developed to 

address the unsafe condition identified 

by the MCAI AD, the FAA AD, or the 

applicable service information, which 

could result in the unsafe condition not 

being fully corrected. 

To prevent the use of repairs that 

were not specifically developed to 

correct the unsafe condition, this 

proposed AD would require that the 

repair approval specifically refer to the 

FAA AD. This change is intended to 

clarify the method of compliance and to 

provide operators with better visibility 

of repairs that are specifically developed 

and approved to correct the unsafe 

condition. In addition, we use the 

phrase ‘‘its delegated agent, or the DAH 

with State of Design Authority design 

organization approval, as applicable’’ in 

this proposed AD to refer to a DAH 

authorized to approve required repairs 

for this proposed AD. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this proposed AD 

affects 16 airplanes of U.S. registry. 

We estimate the following costs to 

comply with this proposed AD: 

ESTIMATED COSTS

Action Labor cost Parts cost Cost per 

product 

Cost on U.S. 

operators 

Inspection ....................................... 12 work-hours × $85 per hour = 

$1,020 per inspection cycle.

$0 $1,020 $16,320 per inspection cycle. 

We have received no definitive data 

that would enable us to provide cost 

estimates for the on-condition action 

specified in this proposed AD. 

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 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 this 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); 

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. 

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation 

safety, Incorporation by reference, 

Safety. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
7598 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 27 / Monday, February 10, 2014 / Proposed Rules 

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–2014–0004; 

Directorate Identifier 2013–NM–143–AD. 

(a) Comments Due Date 

We must receive comments by March 27, 

2014. 

(b) Affected ADs 

None. 

(c) Applicability 

This AD applies to Airbus Model A320– 

211, –212, and –231 airplanes, certificated in 

any category, all manufacturer serial numbers 

up to 0136 inclusive. 

(d) Subject 

Air Transport Association (ATA) of 

America Code 57, Wings. 

(e) Reason 

This AD was prompted by reports of 

broken struts of the center wing box (CWB) 

on certain airplanes. We are issuing this AD 

to detect and correct cracked or broken struts, 

which could result in struts, which could 

result in strut failure and consequent reduced 

structural integrity of the airplane. 

(f) Compliance 

Comply with this AD within the 

compliance times specified, unless already 

done. 

(g) Repetitive Inspections 

At the applicable time specified in 

paragraph (g)(1) or (g)(2) of this AD: Do a 

detailed inspection of each strut of the CWB 

for cracking, in accordance with the 

Accomplishment Instructions of Airbus 

Service Bulletin A320–57–1149, Revision 01, 

dated February 12, 2013. Repeat the 

inspection thereafter at intervals not to 

exceed 16,800 flight cycles or 33,600 flight 

hours, whichever occurs first. 

(1) For airplanes on which the inspection 

required by paragraph (g) of this AD has not 

been done as of the effective date of this AD: 

Do the inspection at the later of the times 

specified in paragraphs (g)(1)(i) and (g)(1)(ii) 

of this AD. 

(i) Before the accumulation of 31,700 total 

flight cycles or 63,400 total flight hours since 

first flight, whichever occurs first. 

(ii) Within 1,250 flight cycles or 2,500 

flight hours after the effective date of this AD, 

whichever occurs first. 

(2) For airplanes on which the inspection 

required by paragraph (g) of this AD has been 

done as of the effective date of this AD: Do 

the inspection within 16,800 flight cycles or 

33,600 flight hours after the most recent 

inspection, whichever occurs first. 

(h) Repair 

If any crack is found during any inspection 

required by paragraph (g) of this AD: Before 

further flight, repair using a method 

approved by the Manager, International 

Branch, ANM–116, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, FAA; the EASA (or its delegated 

agent, or the Design Approval Holder with 

EASA’s design organization approval). For a 

repair method to be approved, the repair 

approval must specifically refer to this AD. 

(i) Credit for Previous Actions 

This paragraph provides credit for actions 

required by paragraph (g) of this AD, if those 

actions were performed before the effective 

date of this AD using Airbus Service Bulletin 

A320–57–1149, dated April 1, 2008. 

(j) Other FAA AD Provisions 

The following provisions also apply to this 

AD: 

(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs): The Manager, International 

Branch, 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: 

Sanjay Ralhan, Aerospace Engineer, 

International Branch, ANM–116, Transport 

Airplane Directorate, FAA, 1601 Lind 

Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057–3356; 

phone: 425–227–1405; fax: 425–227–1149. 

Information may be emailed to: 9-ANM-116- 

AMOC-REQUESTS@faa.gov. 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, use these actions if they are 

FAA-approved. Corrective actions are 

considered FAA-approved if they were 

approved by the State of Design Authority (or 

its delegated agent, or the DAH with a State 

of Design Authority’s design organization 

approval). You are required to ensure the 

product is airworthy before it is returned to 

service. 

(k) Related Information 

(1) Refer to Mandatory Continuing 

Airworthiness Information (MCAI) EASA 

Airworthiness Directive 2013–0149, dated 

July 16, 2013, for related information. This 

MCAI may be found in the AD docket on the 

Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by 

searching for and locating it in Docket No. 

FAA–2014–0004. 

(2) For service information identified in 

this AD, contact Airbus, Airworthiness 

Office—EAS, 1 Rond Point Maurice Bellonte, 

31707 Blagnac Cedex, France; telephone +33 

5 61 93 36 96; fax +33 5 61 93 44 51; email 

account.airworth-eas@airbus.com; Internet 

http://www.airbus.com. 

(3) You may view copies of this 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. 

Issued in Renton, Washington, on January 

18, 2014. 

Jeffrey E. Duven, 

Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–02718 Filed 2–7–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2014–0009; Directorate 

Identifier 2013–NM–123–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing 

Company Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for all The 

Boeing Company Model 707 airplanes, 

and Model 720 and 720B series 

airplanes. This proposed AD was 

prompted by reports of scribe-linerelated fatigue cracks on Model 727 

airplanes, which are similar in design to 

Model 707 airplanes, and Model 720 

and 720B series airplanes. This 

proposed AD would require inspections 

for scribe lines in the skin lap joints, 

external approved repairs, external 

features, skin butt joints, and decals, 

and related investigative and corrective 

actions if necessary. This proposed AD 

would also require surface finish 

restoration. We are proposing this AD to 

detect and correct scribe lines, which 

can develop into fatigue cracks in the 

skin and cause rapid decompression of 

the airplane. 

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by March 27, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, 

using the procedures found in 14 CFR 

11.43 and 11.45, 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 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS