Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 183 / Tuesday, September 22, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 57083 

four occurrences, and adding in its 

place ‘‘AU–1’’; and 

■ d. Paragraph (g), by removing, ‘‘the 

Chief Health, Safety and Security 

Officer’’, and adding in its place ‘‘AU– 

1’’; and by removing ‘‘the Office of 

Health, Safety and Security’’ and adding 

in its place ‘‘AU–1’’. 

§ 1046.5 [Amended] 

■ 5. Section 1046.5(c) is amended by 

removing ‘‘the Office of Health, Safety 

and Security’’, two occurrences, and 

adding in both places, ‘‘AU–1’’. 

§ 1046.13 [Amended] 

■ 6. Section 1046.13(b)(3) is amended 

by removing ‘‘the Chief Medical 

Officer’’ and adding in its place ‘‘AU– 

1’’. 

§ 1046.15 [Amended] 

■ 7. Section 1046.15 is amended in: 

■ a. Paragraph (c) introductory text, by 

removing ‘‘the Office of Health, Safety 

and Security’’ and adding in its place 

‘‘AU–1’’; and in paragraph (c)(1) by 

removing ‘‘The Office of Health, Safety 

and Security’’ and adding in its place 

‘‘AU–1’’; and 

■ b. Paragraphs (c)(2), (c)(3), (c)(4) 

introductory text, (c)(4)(iii), (c)(5), (c)(6) 

introductory text, (c)(7) four 

occurrences, (c)(8) and (d) two 

occurrences, by removing ‘‘the Office of 

Health, Safety and Security’’ and adding 

in its place ‘‘AU–1’’. 

§ 1046.17 [Amended] 

■ 8. Section 1046.17 is amended in 

paragraph (k)(6) by removing ‘‘the Office 

of Health, Safety and Security’’ and 

adding in its place ‘‘AU–1’’. 

[FR Doc. 2015–24083 Filed 9–21–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2015–0245; Directorate 

Identifier 2014–NM–135–AD; Amendment 

39–18268; AD 2015–19–06] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing 

Company Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are superseding 

Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2012–24– 

10 for certain The Boeing Company 

Model 747–400 and –400F series 

airplanes. AD 2012–24–10 required 

installing new software, replacing the 

duct assembly with a new duct 

assembly, making wiring changes, and 

routing certain wire bundles. This new 

AD retains the requirements of AD 

2012–24–10 and requires installing a 

new or serviceable pressure switch 

bracket and altitude pressure switch. 

This new AD also adds an airplane to 

the applicability. This AD was 

prompted by reports of intermittent or 

blank displays of a certain integrated 

display unit (IDU) that were due to an 

intermittent false electrical ground that 

was not addressed by the software 

installation or wiring changes required 

by AD 2012–24–10. We are issuing this 

AD to prevent IDU malfunctions, which 

could affect the ability of the flightcrew 

to read primary displays for airplane 

attitude, altitude, or airspeed, and 

consequently reduce the ability of the 

flightcrew to maintain control of the 

airplane. 

DATES: This AD is effective October 27, 

2015. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of certain publications listed in this AD 

as of October 27, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: 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. It is also available 

on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov by searching for 

and locating Docket No. FAA–2015– 

0245. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the AD docket on 

the Internet at http://

www.regulations.govby searching for 

and locating Docket No. FAA–2015– 

0245; 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 AD, the regulatory 

evaluation, any comments received, and 

other information. The address for the 

Docket Office (phone: 800–647–5527) is 

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 20590. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Francis Smith, Aerospace Engineer, 

Cabin Safety and Environmental 

Systems Branch, ANM–150S, FAA, 

Seattle Aircraft Certification Office 

(ACO), 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, 

WA 98057–3356; phone: 425–917–6596; 

fax: 425–917–6591; email: 

Francis.Smith@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

We issued a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 

part 39 to supersede AD 2012–24–10, 

Amendment 39–17280 (77 FR 73908, 

December 12, 2012). AD 2012–24–10 

applied to certain The Boeing Company 

Model 747–400 and –400F series 

airplanes. The NPRM published in the 

Federal Register on February 18, 2015 

(80 FR 8568). The NPRM was prompted 

by reports of intermittent or blank 

displays of a certain IDU that were due 

to an intermittent false electrical ground 

that was not addressed by the software 

installation or wiring changes required 

by AD 2012–24–10. 

The NPRM (80 FR 8568, February 18, 

2015) proposed to retain the 

requirements of AD 2012–24–10. The 

NPRM also proposed to require 

installing a new or serviceable pressure 

switch bracket and altitude pressure 

switch, and add an airplane having 

variable number RT061 as Group 21 to 

the applicability of the existing AD. We 

are issuing this AD to prevent IDU 

malfunctions, which could affect the 

ability of the flightcrew to read primary 

displays for airplane attitude, altitude, 

or airspeed, and consequently reduce 

the ability of the flightcrew to maintain 

control of the airplane. 

Comments 

We gave the public the opportunity to 

participate in developing this AD. The 

following presents the comment 

received on the NPRM (80 FR 8568, 

February 18, 2015) and the FAA’s 

response. 

Request To Clarify Purpose of Altitude 

Pressure Switch 

Boeing requested that we revise the 

wording in the Discussion section to 

clarify that the altitude pressure switch 

provides an independent and redundant 

signal to the equipment cooling threeway valve. Boeing explained that the 

logic to transition the three-way valve 

through an altitude of 25,000 feet was 

already present through a signal from 

the environmental control system 

miscellaneous card (ECSMC). The 

commenter added that the logic 


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57084 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 183 / Tuesday, September 22, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 

redundancy is described correctly 

elsewhere in the NPRM (80 FR 8568, 

February 18, 2015). 

We agree with the commenter’s 

request because changing the wording 

clarifies the intent of Boeing Special 

Attention Service Bulletin 747–21– 

2533, dated February 13, 2014, which 

describes procedures for installing an 

altitude pressure switch on the forward 

side of the station 400 bulkhead for the 

three-way valve of the equipment 

cooling system. We have revised the 

description of the service information, 

which is provided in the Related 

Service Information under 1 CFR part 51 

section in this final rule. 

Conclusion 

We reviewed the relevant data, 

considered the comment received, and 

determined that air safety and the 

public interest require adopting this AD 

as proposed except for minor editorial 

changes. We have determined that these 

minor changes: 

• Are consistent with the intent that 

was proposed in the NPRM (80 FR 8568, 

February 18, 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 8568, 

February 18, 2015). 

Related Service Information Under 1 

CFR Part 51 

Boeing has issued the following 

service information. 

• Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 747– 

21A2523, Revision 2, dated June 7, 

2013. This service information describes 

procedures for changing the wiring and 

operating logic of the equipment cooling 

three-way valve and replacing the 

existing duct assembly with a new duct 

assembly on the main distribution 

manifold of the air conditioning system. 

• Boeing Special Attention Service 

Bulletin 747–21–2532, dated February 

13, 2014. This service information 

describes procedures for installing an 

altitude pressure switch on the forward 

side of the station 400 bulkhead for the 

three-way valve of the equipment 

cooling system. 

• Boeing Special Attention Service 

Bulletin 747–21–2533, dated February 

13, 2014. This service information 

describes procedures for adding a 

second altitude signal to the switching 

logic for the three-way valve to provide 

a second, independent altitude signal 

for the equipment cooling system. 

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 affects 33 

airplanes of U.S. registry. 

We estimate the following costs to 

comply with this AD: 

ESTIMATED COSTS

Action Labor cost Parts cost Cost per 

product 

Cost on U.S. 

operators 

Duct assembly and replacement wiring changes (retained actions from AD 2012–24–10, Amendment 

39–17280 (77 FR 73908, December 12, 2012).

44 work-hours × $85 per hour = $3,740 $20,121 $23,861 $787,413 

Software changes (retained actions from AD 2012–24– 

10, Amendment 39–17280 (77 FR 73908, December 

12, 2012).

3 work-hours × $85 per hour = $255 ..... 0 255 8,415 

Altitude pressure switch installation (new action) ........... 13 work-hours × $85 per hour = $1,105 5,230 6,335 209,055 

According to the manufacturer, some 

of the costs of this AD may be covered 

under warranty, thereby reducing the 

cost impact on affected individuals. We 

do not control warranty coverage for 

affected individuals. As a result, we 

have included all costs in our cost 

estimate. 

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 have 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 

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. 

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 

removing Airworthiness Directive (AD) 

2012–24–10, Amendment 39–17280 (77 

FR 73908, December 12, 2012), and 

adding the following new AD: 

2015–19–06 The Boeing Company: 

Amendment 39–18268; Docket No. 

FAA–2015–0245; Directorate Identifier 

2014–NM–135–AD. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 183 / Tuesday, September 22, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 57085 

(a) Effective Date 

This AD is effective October 27, 2015. 

(b) Affected ADs 

This AD replaces AD 2012–24–10, 

Amendment 39–17280 (77 FR 73908, 

December 12, 2012). 

(c) Applicability 

This AD applies to The Boeing Company 

Model 747–400 and -400F series airplanes, 

certificated in any category, as identified in 

Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 747–21A2523, 

Revision 2, dated June 7, 2013. 

(d) Subject 

Air Transport Association (ATA) of 

America Code 21, Air Conditioning; 31, 

Instruments. 

(e) Unsafe Condition 

This AD was prompted by reports of 

intermittent or blank displays of a certain 

integrated display unit (IDU) in the flight 

deck. We are issuing this AD to prevent IDU 

malfunctions, which could affect the ability 

of the flightcrew to read primary displays for 

airplane attitude, altitude, or airspeed, and 

consequently reduce the ability of the 

flightcrew to maintain control of the airplane. 

(f) Compliance 

Comply with this AD within the 

compliance times specified, unless already 

done. 

(g) Retained Software Update, With Revised 

Service Information 

This paragraph restates the requirements of 

paragraph (g) of AD 2012–24–10, 

Amendment 39–17280 (77 FR 73908, 

December 12, 2012), with revised service 

information. Within 12 months after January 

16, 2013 (the effective date of AD 2012–24– 

10), except as provided by paragraph (j) of 

this AD: Install integrated display system 

software, in accordance with the 

Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing Alert 

Service Bulletin 747–21A2523, Revision 1, 

dated October 3, 2011; or Boeing Alert 

Service Bulletin 747–21A2523, Revision 2, 

dated June 7, 2013. As of the effective date 

of this AD, only Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 

747–21A2523, Revision 2, dated June 7, 

2013, may be used to accomplish the actions 

required by this paragraph. 

Note 1 to paragraphs (g) and (j) of this AD: 

Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 747–21A2523, 

Revision 1, dated October 3, 2011; and 

Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 747–21A2523, 

Revision 2, dated June 7, 2013; refer to 

Boeing Service Bulletin 747–31–2426, dated 

July 29, 2010 (for airplanes with Rolls-Royce 

engines); Boeing Service Bulletin 747–31– 

2427, dated July 29, 2010 (for airplanes with 

General Electric engines); and Boeing Service 

Bulletin 747–31–2428, dated July 29, 2010 

(for airplanes with Pratt & Whitney engines); 

as additional sources of guidance for the 

software installation specified by paragraph 

(g) of this AD. 

(h) Retained Duct Assembly Replacement 

and Wiring Changes, With Revised Service 

Information 

This paragraph restates the requirements of 

paragraph (h) of AD 2012–24–10, 

Amendment 39–17280 (77 FR 73908, 

December 12, 2012), with revised service 

information. Within 60 months after January 

16, 2013 (the effective date of AD 2012–24– 

10), except as provided by paragraph (j) of 

this AD: Replace the duct assembly with a 

new duct assembly, do wiring changes, and 

route certain wire bundles, in accordance 

with the Accomplishment Instructions of 

Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 747–21A2523, 

Revision 1, dated October 3, 2011; or Boeing 

Alert Service Bulletin 747–21A2523, 

Revision 2, dated June 7, 2013. As of the 

effective date of this AD, only Boeing Alert 

Service Bulletin 747–21A2523, Revision 2, 

dated June 7, 2013, may be used to 

accomplish the actions required by this 

paragraph. 

(i) New Installation of Pressure Switch 

Bracket and Altitude Pressure Switch 

Within 60 months after the effective date 

of this AD: Install a new or serviceable 

pressure switch bracket and a new or 

serviceable altitude pressure switch on the 

forward side of the station 400 bulkhead, do 

wiring changes, route certain wire bundles, 

install a new hose assembly, and perform a 

leak check and a functional logic test, in 

accordance with the Accomplishment 

Instructions of the service information 

specified in paragraph (i)(1) or (i)(2) of this 

AD, as applicable. 

(1) For Model 747–400F series airplanes: 

Boeing Special Attention Service Bulletin 

747–21–2532, dated February 13, 2014. 

(2) For Model 747–400BCF series 

airplanes: Boeing Special Attention Service 

Bulletin 747–21–2533, dated February 13, 

2014. 

(j) Actions for Group 21 Airplanes 

For Group 21 airplanes, as identified in 

Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 747–21A2523, 

Revision 2, dated June 7, 2013, do the actions 

specified in paragraphs (j)(1) and (j)(2) of this 

AD, in accordance with the Accomplishment 

Instructions of Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 

747–21A2523, Revision 2, dated June 7, 

2013. 

(1) Within 12 months after the effective 

date of this AD, install integrated display 

system software. 

(2) Within 60 months after the effective 

date of this AD, replace the duct assembly 

with a new duct assembly, do wiring 

changes, and route certain wire bundles. 

(k) Credit for Previous Actions 

This paragraph provides credit for actions 

required by paragraphs (g) and (h) of this AD, 

if those actions were performed before the 

effective date of this AD using Boeing Alert 

Service Bulletin 747–21A2523, Revision 1, 

dated October 3, 2011, which was 

incorporated by reference in AD 2012–24–10, 

Amendment 39–17280 (77 FR 73908, 

December 12, 2012). 

(l) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(1) The Manager, Seattle Aircraft 

Certification Office (ACO), 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 manager of the ACO, send it to the 

attention of the person identified in 

paragraph (m)(1) of this AD. Information may 

be emailed to: 9-ANM-Seattle-ACO-AMOCRequests@faa.gov. 

(2) 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. 

(3) An AMOC that provides an acceptable 

level of safety may be used for any repair 

required by this AD if it is approved by 

Boeing Commercial Airplanes Organization 

Designation Authorization (ODA) that has 

been authorized by the Manager, Seattle 

ACO, to make those findings. For a repair 

method to be approved, the repair must meet 

the certification basis of the airplane, and the 

approval must specifically refer to this AD. 

(4) AMOCs approved for AD 2012–24–10, 

Amendment 39–17280 (77 FR 73908, 

December 12, 2012), are approved as AMOCs 

for the corresponding provisions of 

paragraphs (g) and (h) of this AD. 

(m) Related Information 

(1) For more information about this AD, 

contact Francis Smith, Aerospace Engineer, 

Cabin Safety and Environmental Systems 

Branch, ANM–150S, FAA, Seattle Aircraft 

Certification Office (ACO), 1601 Lind Avenue 

SW., Renton, WA 98057–3356; phone: 425– 

917–6596; fax: 425–917–6591; email: 

Francis.Smith@faa.gov. 

(2) Service information identified in this 

AD that is not incorporated by reference is 

available at the addresses specified in 

paragraphs (n)(3) and (n)(4) of this AD. 

(n) 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) Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 747– 

21A2523, Revision 2, dated June 7, 2013. 

(ii) Boeing Special Attention Service 

Bulletin 747–21–2532, dated February 13, 

2014. 

(iii) Boeing Special Attention Service 

Bulletin 747–21–2533, dated February 13, 

2014. 

(3) For Boeing 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. 

(4) You may view this service information 

at 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. 

(5) You may view this service information 

that is incorporated by reference at the 

National Archives and Records 

Administration (NARA). For information on 


Lhorne on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with RULES
57086 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 183 / Tuesday, September 22, 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 Renton, Washington, on 

September 9, 2015. 

Michael Kaszycki, 

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–23539 Filed 9–21–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2014–0753; Directorate 

Identifier 2014–NM–128–AD; Amendment 

39–18270; AD 2015–19–08] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus 

Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are superseding 

Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2011–19– 

04, for all Airbus Model A318, A319, 

A320, and A321 series airplanes. AD 

2011–19–04 required repetitive 

inspections for cracking of the left-hand 

and right-hand inboard and outboard 

elevator servo-control rod eye-ends, and 

corrective actions if necessary. This new 

AD requires an inspection to determine 

if certain elevator servo-control parts are 

installed, and replacement if necessary. 

This AD was prompted by a 

determination that certain elevator 

servo-control parts that do not conform 

to the approved type design have been 

installed and may have the potential of 

cracks in the rod eye-end. We are 

issuing this AD to detect and correct rod 

eye-end cracking, which could result in 

uncontrolled elevator surface and 

consequent reduced control of the 

airplane. 

DATES: This AD becomes effective 

October 27, 2015. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of a certain publication listed in this AD 

as of October 27, 2015. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of a certain other publication listed in 

this AD as of October 21, 2011 (76 FR 

57630, September 16, 2011). 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of a certain other publication listed in 

this AD as of September 22, 2009 (74 FR 

41611 August 18, 2009). 

ADDRESSES: You may examine the AD 

docket on the Internet at http://

www.regulations.gov/

#!docketDetail;D=FAA-2014-0753; 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 Airbus service information 

identified in this AD, contact Airbus, 

Airworthiness Office—EIAS, 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. For 

UTC service information identified in 

this AD, contact UTC Aerospace 

Systems; Roger Dangremont; telephone 

+01 34 32 63 28; email 

roger.dangrement@goodrich.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– 

0753. 

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: 

Discussion 

We issued a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 

part 39 to supersede AD 2011–19–04, 

Amendment 39–16809 (76 FR 57630, 

September 16, 2011). AD 2011–19–04 

applied to all Model A318, A319, A320, 

and A321 series airplanes. The NPRM 

published in the Federal Register on 

October 21, 2014 (79 FR 62928). The 

NPRM was prompted by a 

determination that certain elevator 

servo-control parts that do not conform 

to the approved type design have been 

installed and may have the potential of 

cracks in the rod eye-end. The NPRM 

proposed to continue to require 

repetitive inspections of the left-hand 

and right-hand inboard and outboard 

elevator servo-control rod eye-ends for 

cracking, and corrective actions if 

necessary. The NPRM also proposed to 

require an inspection to determine if 

certain elevator servo-control parts are 

installed, and replacement if necessary. 

We are issuing this AD to detect and 

correct rod eye-end cracking, which 

could result in uncontrolled elevator 

surface and consequent reduced control 

of the airplane. 

The European Aviation Safety Agency 

(EASA), which is the Technical Agent 

for the Member States of the European 

Union, has issued EASA Airworthiness 

Directive 2014–0137, dated May 28, 

2014 (referred to after this as the 

Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness 

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

an unsafe condition. The MCAI states: 

One case of elevator servo-control 

disconnection was reported on an A320 

family aeroplane. Investigation results 

revealed that the failure occurred at the 

servo-control rod eye-end. Prompted by this 

finding, additional inspections revealed 

cracking at the same location on a number of 

other servo-control rod eye-ends. In several 

cases, both actuators of the same elevator 

surface were affected. 

It was determined that the detected rod 

end cracks are caused by fatigue, induced by 

a bending effect which is linked to the 

spherical bearing rotational torque. As the 

elevator surface is neither actuated nor 

damped, a dual servo-control disconnection 

on the same elevator would result in an 

uncontrolled surface. 

This condition, if not corrected, could 

result in reduced control of the aeroplane. 

To address this potential unsafe condition, 

EASA issued [an airworthiness directive 

(later revised)] [which corresponds to FAA 

AD 2009–17–04, Amendment 39–15995 (74 

FR 41611, August 18, 2009)] to require a onetime inspection of the elevator servo-control 

rod eye-ends for aeroplanes which had 

accumulated more than 10,000 flight cycles 

(FC) since aeroplane first flight and, in case 

of findings, accomplishment of corrective 

actions. 

As a result of EASA AD 2008–0149, a 

significant number of rod eye-ends were 

found cracked. In addition, some cracks were 

reported on rod eye-ends that had not yet 

accumulated the 10,000 FC of the established 

threshold. 

Prompted by these findings, EASA issued 

[an airworthiness directive (later revised)] 

[which corresponds to FAA AD 2011–19–04, 

Amendment 39–16809 (76 FR 57630, 

September 16, 2011)], which partially 

retained the initial inspection requirement of 

EASA AD 2008–0149, which was 

superseded, reduced the compliance time of 

the initial inspection and introduced a 

repetitive inspection programme. 

After EASA AD 2010–0046R1 (http://

ad.easa.europa.eu/blob/easa_ad_2010_0046_

R1_superseded.pdf/AD_2010-0046R1_1) was 

issued, a new elevator servo-control rod eyeend was developed, incorporating a regreasable roller bearing. 

Consequently, EASA issued [EASA] AD 

2013–0309 (later corrected) (http://

ad.easa.europa.eu/blob/easa_ad_2013_0309_

superseded.pdf/AD_2013-0309_1), retaining 

the requirements of EASA AD 2010–0046R1, 

which was superseded, and introduced an 


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