Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 229 / Monday, November 30, 2015 / Proposed Rules 74729 

the certification basis of the airplane, and the 

approval must specifically refer to this AD. 

(4) For service information that contains 

steps that are labeled as Required for 

Compliance (RC), the provisions of 

paragraphs (j)(4)(i) and (j)(4)(ii) of this AD 

apply. 

(i) The steps labeled as RC, including 

substeps under an RC step and any figures 

identified in an RC step, must be done to 

comply with the AD. An AMOC is required 

for any deviations to RC steps, including 

substeps and identified figures. 

(ii) Steps not labeled as RC may be 

deviated from using accepted methods in 

accordance with the operator’s maintenance 

or inspection program without obtaining 

approval of an AMOC, provided the RC steps, 

including substeps and identified figures, can 

still be done as specified, and the airplane 

can be put back in an airworthy condition. 

(k) Related Information 

(1) For more information about this AD, 

contact Jason Deutschman, Aerospace 

Engineer, Airframe Branch, ANM–120S, 

FAA, Seattle ACO, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., 

Renton, WA 98057–3356; phone: 425–917– 

6595; fax: 425–917–6590; email: 

jason.deutschman@faa.gov. 

(2) For service information identified in 

this AD, contact Boeing Commercial 

Airplanes, Attention: Data & Services 

Management, P. O. Box 3707, MC 2H–65, 

Seattle, WA 98124–2207; telephone: 206– 

544–5000, extension 1; fax: 206–766–5680; 

Internet https://www.myboeingfleet.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 

November 20, 2015. 

Jeffrey E. Duven, 

Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–30223 Filed 11–27–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2015–6537; Directorate 

Identifier 2014–NM–154–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 A318, A319, A320, and 

A321 series airplanes. This proposed 

AD was prompted by reports of cracking 

of the aft fixed fairing (AFF) of the 

pylons due to fatigue damage of the 

structure. This proposed AD would 

require repetitive inspections for 

damage and cracking of the AFF of the 

pylons, and repair if necessary. We are 

proposing this AD to detect and correct 

damage and cracking of the AFF of the 

pylons, which could result in 

detachment of a pylon and consequent 

reduced structural integrity of the 

airplane. 

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by January 14, 2016. 

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 

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–2015– 

6537; 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; telephone 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–2015–6537; Directorate Identifier 

2014–NM–154–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 

Union, has issued EASA Airworthiness 

Directive 2014–0154, dated July 2, 2014 

(referred to after this as the Mandatory 

Continuing Airworthiness Information, 

or ‘‘the MCAI’’), to correct an unsafe 

condition for certain Airbus Model 

A318, A319, A320, and A321 series 

airplanes. The MCAI states: 

On aeroplanes equipped with post-mod 

33844 CFM pylons, several operators have 

reported cracks on the Aft Fixed Fairing 

(AFF). After material analysis, it appears that 

the pylon AFF structure, especially on this 

configuration, is subject to fatigue constraint 

damage which could lead to pylon AFF 

cracks. 

Further to these findings, Airbus released 

Alert Operators Transmission (AOT) 

A54N002–12 which provides instructions to 

inspect the pylon AFF, applicable only to 

aeroplanes incorporating Airbus production 

mod 33844 on CFM pylons. More recently, 

Airbus issued Service Bulletin (SB) A320– 

54–1027, superseding AOT A54N002–12. 

This condition, if not detected and 

corrected, could lead to detachment of a 

pylon AFF from the aeroplane, possibly 

resulting in injuries to persons on the 

ground. 

For the reasons described above, this 

[EASA] AD requires repetitive detailed 

inspections (DET) of the pylon AFF and, 

depending on findings, accomplishment of 

applicable corrective action(s). 


jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
74730 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 229 / Monday, November 30, 2015 / Proposed Rules 

Since the MCAI was issued, EASA 

has clarified that the detachment of a 

pylon AFF from the airplane could 

result in damage to the airplane; such 

damage could result in reduced 

structural integrity of the airplane. 

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– 

2015–6537. 

Related Service Information Under 1 

CFR Part 51 

Airbus has issued Service Bulletin 

A320–54–1027, dated April 10, 2014. 

This service information describes 

procedures for inspections for damage 

and cracking of the AFF of the pylons, 

and repair if necessary. 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 NPRM. 

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. 

Explanation of ‘‘RC’’ Procedures and 

Tests in Service Information 

The FAA worked in conjunction with 

industry, under the Airworthiness 

Directive Implementation Aviation 

Rulemaking Committee (ARC), to 

enhance the AD system. One 

enhancement was a new process for 

annotating which procedures and tests 

in the service information are required 

for compliance with an AD. 

Differentiating these procedures and 

tests from other tasks in the service 

information is expected to improve an 

owner’s/operator’s understanding of 

crucial AD requirements and help 

provide consistent judgment in AD 

compliance. The procedures and tests 

identified as Required for Compliance 

(RC) in any service information have a 

direct effect on detecting, preventing, 

resolving, or eliminating an identified 

unsafe condition. 

As specified in a NOTE under the 

Accomplishment Instructions of the 

specified service information, 

procedures and tests that are identified 

as RC in any service information must 

be done to comply with the proposed 

AD. However, procedures and tests that 

are not identified as RC are 

recommended. Those procedures and 

tests that are not identified as RC may 

be deviated from using accepted 

methods in accordance with the 

operator’s maintenance or inspection 

program without obtaining approval of 

an alternative method of compliance 

(AMOC), provided the procedures and 

tests identified as RC can be done and 

the airplane can be put back in an 

airworthy condition. Any substitutions 

or changes to procedures or tests 

identified as RC will require approval of 

an AMOC. 

Costs of Compliance 

We estimate that this proposed AD 

affects 69 airplanes of U.S. registry. 

We also estimate that it would take 

about 4 work-hours per product to 

comply with the basic requirements of 

this proposed AD. The average labor 

rate is $85 per work-hour. Based on 

these figures, we estimate the cost of 

this proposed AD on U.S. operators to 

be $23,460, or $340 per product. 

We have received no definitive data 

that would enable us to provide cost 

estimates for the on-condition actions 

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. 

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–2015–6537; 

Directorate Identifier 2014–NM–154–AD. 

(a) Comments Due Date 

We must receive comments by January 14, 

2016. 

(b) Affected ADs 

None. 

(c) Applicability 

This AD applies to Airbus Model A318– 

111 and –112 airplanes; Model A319–111, 

–112, –113, –114, and –115 airplanes; Model 

A320–211, –212, –214, and –215 airplanes; 

and Model A321–111, –112, –211, –212, and 

–213 airplanes; certificated in any category; 

all manufacturer serial numbers on which 

Airbus Modification 33844 has been 

embodied in production. 

(d) Subject 

Air Transport Association (ATA) of 

America Code 54, Nacelles/pylons. 

(e) Reason 

This AD was prompted by reports of 

cracking of the aft fixed fairing (AFF) of the 

pylons due to fatigue damage of the structure. 

We are issuing this AD to detect and correct 

damage and cracking of the AFF of the 

pylons, which could result in detachment of 


jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 229 / Monday, November 30, 2015 / Proposed Rules 74731 

a pylon 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 later of times specified in 

paragraphs (g)(1) and (g)(2), or (g)(1) and 

(g)(3), of this AD, as applicable: Do a detailed 

inspection for damage and cracking of the 

AFF of the pylons, in accordance with the 

Accomplishment Instructions of Airbus 

Service Bulletin A320–54–1027, dated April 

10, 2014. Repeat the inspection thereafter at 

intervals not to exceed 2,500 flight cycles or 

3,750 flight hours, whichever occurs first. 

(1) For all airplanes: Before exceeding 

5,000 flight cycles or 7,500 flight hours, 

whichever occurs first since the airplane’s 

first flight. 

(2) For airplanes on which the inspection 

specified in Airbus All Operators 

Transmission (AOT) A54N002–12 has been 

done as of the effective date of this AD: 

Within 2,500 flight cycles or 3,750 flight 

hours, since the most recent accomplishment 

of maintenance planning document (MPD) 

Task ZL 371–01, or since doing the most 

recent inspection specified in Airbus AOT 

A54N002–12, whichever occurs first. 

(3) For airplanes on which the inspection 

specified in Airbus AOT A54N002–12 has 

not been done as of the effective date of this 

AD: Within 750 flight cycles or 1,500 flight 

hours after the effective date of this AD, 

whichever occurs first. 

(h) Repair 

If any crack is found during any inspection 

required by paragraph (g) of this AD; before 

further flight, repair in accordance with the 

Accomplishment Instructions of Airbus 

Service Bulletin A320–54–1027, dated April 

10, 2014. Accomplishment of this repair does 

not terminate the repetitive inspections 

required by paragraph (g) of this AD. 

(i) Other FAA AD Provisions 

The following provisions also apply to this 

AD: 

(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs): The Manager, International 

Branch, ANM–116, 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; 

telephone 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) Contacting the Manufacturer: For any 

requirement in this AD to obtain corrective 

actions from a manufacturer, the action must 

be accomplished using a method approved 

by the Manager, International Branch, ANM– 

116, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA; or 

the European Aviation Safety Agency 

(EASA); or Airbus’s EASA Design 

Organization Approval (DOA). If approved by 

the DOA, the approval must include the 

DOA-authorized signature. 

(3) Required for Compliance (RC): If any 

service information contains procedures or 

tests that are identified as RC, those 

procedures and tests must be done to comply 

with this AD; any procedures or tests that are 

not identified as RC are recommended. Those 

procedures and tests that are not identified 

as RC may be deviated from using accepted 

methods in accordance with the operator’s 

maintenance or inspection program without 

obtaining approval of an AMOC provided the 

procedures and tests identified as RC can be 

done and the airplane can be put back in an 

airworthy condition. Any substitutions or 

changes to procedures or tests identified as 

RC require approval of an AMOC. 

(j) Related Information 

(1) Refer to Mandatory Continuing 

Airworthiness Information (MCAI) EASA 

Airworthiness Directive 2014–0154, dated 

July 2, 2014, 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 Docket No. FAA– 

2015–6537. 

(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. You may view 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 

November 20, 2015. 

Jeffrey E. Duven, 

Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–30218 Filed 11–27–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2015–6538; Directorate 

Identifier 2015–NM–031–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 certain 

The Boeing Company Model 737–100, 

–200, –200C, –300, –400, and –500 

series airplanes. This proposed AD was 

prompted by an evaluation by the 

design approval holder (DAH) 

indicating that the bulkhead is subject 

to widespread fatigue damage (WFD). 

This proposed AD would require 

repetitive inspections of the aft pressure 

bulkhead web for any cracking, 

incorrectly drilled fastener holes, and 

elongated fastener holes, and related 

investigative and corrective actions if 

necessary. We are proposing this AD to 

detect and correct fatigue cracking of the 

aft pressure bulkhead web at the ‘‘Y’’- 

chord, which could result in reduced 

structural integrity of the airplane and 

rapid decompression of the fuselage. 

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by January 14, 2016. 

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 

W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 

Washington, DC 20590. 

• Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail 

address above between 9 a.m. and 5 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. 

For service information identified in 

this proposed AD, contact Boeing 

Commercial Airplanes, Attention: Data 

& Services Management, P. O. Box 3707, 

MC 2H–65, Seattle, WA 98124–2207; 

telephone 206–544–5000, extension 1; 

fax 206–766–5680; Internet https://

www.myboeingfleet.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–2015– 

6538. 

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– 

6538; or in person at the Docket 

Management Facility between 9 a.m. 


jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS