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

88271 

Vol. 88, No. 244 

Thursday, December 21, 2023 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2023–2395; Project 

Identifier AD–2023–00767–T] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing 

Company Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to 

supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 

2022–08–12, which applies to all The 

Boeing Company Model 757 airplanes. 

AD 2022–08–12 requires repetitive 

inspections for skin cracking and shim 

migration at the upper link drag fittings, 

diagonal brace cracking, and fastener 

looseness; and applicable on-condition 

actions. Since the FAA issued AD 2022– 

08–12, it was determined that certain 

drag fittings may be made of alternate 

materials, which could result in reduced 

structural integrity of the engine strut, 

and that additional inspections and 

revised compliance times are needed. 

This proposed AD would retain the 

requirements of AD 2022–08–12 with 

revised compliance times for certain 

actions and would add inspections for 

existing repairs and applicable oncondition actions. The FAA is 

proposing this AD to address the unsafe 

condition on these products. 

DATES: The FAA must receive comments 

on this proposed AD by February 5, 

2024. 

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 

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. 

AD Docket: You may examine the AD 

docket at regulations.gov under Docket 

No. FAA–2023–2395; or in person at 

Docket Operations between 9 a.m. and 

5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. The AD docket 

contains this NPRM, any comments 

received, and other information. The 

street address for Docket Operations is 

listed above. 

Material Incorporated by Reference: 

• For service information identified 

in this NPRM, contact Boeing 

Commercial Airplanes, Attention: 

Contractual & Data Services (C&DS), 

2600 Westminster Blvd., MC 110–SK57, 

Seal Beach, CA 90740–5600; telephone 

562–797–1717; website 

myboeingfleet.com. 

• You may view this service 

information at the FAA, Airworthiness 

Products Section, Operational Safety 

Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des 

Moines, WA. For information on the 

availability of this material at the FAA, 

call 206–231–3195. It is also available at 

regulations.gov by searching for and 

locating Docket No. FAA–2023–2395. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Wayne Ha, Aviation Safety Engineer, 

FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, 

WA 98198; telephone 562–627–5238; 

email wayne.ha@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

The FAA invites you to send any 

written relevant data, views, or 

arguments about this proposal. Send 

your comments to an address listed 

under ADDRESSES. Include ‘‘Docket No. 

FAA–2023–2395; Project Identifier AD– 

2023–00767–T’’ at the beginning of your 

comments. The most helpful comments 

reference a specific portion of the 

proposal, explain the reason for any 

recommended change, and include 

supporting data. The FAA will consider 

all comments received by the closing 

date and may amend this proposal 

because of those comments. 

Except for Confidential Business 

Information (CBI) as described in the 

following paragraph, and other 

information as described in 14 CFR 

11.35, the FAA will post all comments 

received, without change, to 

regulations.gov, including any personal 

information you provide. The agency 

will also post a report summarizing each 

substantive verbal contact received 

about this NPRM. 

Confidential Business Information 

CBI is commercial or financial 

information that is both customarily and 

actually treated as private by its owner. 

Under the Freedom of Information Act 

(FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt 

from public disclosure. If your 

comments responsive to this NPRM 

contain commercial or financial 

information that is customarily treated 

as private, that you actually treat as 

private, and that is relevant or 

responsive to this NPRM, it is important 

that you clearly designate the submitted 

comments as CBI. Please mark each 

page of your submission containing CBI 

as ‘‘PROPIN.’’ The FAA will treat such 

marked submissions as confidential 

under the FOIA, and they will not be 

placed in the public docket of this 

NPRM. Submissions containing CBI 

should be sent to Wayne Ha, Aviation 

Safety Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th 

St., Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone 

562–627–5238; email wayne.ha@

faa.gov. Any commentary that the FAA 

receives that is not specifically 

designated as CBI will be placed in the 

public docket for this rulemaking. 

Background 

The FAA issued AD 2022–08–12, 

Amendment 39–22015 (87 FR 26964, 

May 6, 2022) (AD 2022–08–12), for all 

The Boeing Company Model 757 

airplanes. AD 2022–08–12 was 

prompted by reports of bolt rotation in 

the engine drag fitting joint and fastener 

heads and cracks found in the skin of 

the fastener holes, and the need to 

reduce the compliance time for certain 

groups. AD 2022–08–12 requires 

repetitive inspections for skin cracking 

and shim migration at the upper link 

drag fittings, diagonal brace cracking, 

and fastener looseness; and applicable 

on-condition actions. The FAA issued 

AD 2022–08–12 to address cracking in 

the wing upper skin and forward drag 

fittings, which could lead to a 

compromised upper link and reduced 

structural integrity of the engine strut, 

and possible separation of a strut and 

engine from the airplane during flight. 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
88272 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 244 / Thursday, December 21, 2023 / Proposed Rules 

Actions Since AD 2022–08–12 Was 

Issued 

Since the FAA issued AD 2022–08– 

12, it was determined that drag fittings 

made of alternate materials have 

possibly been installed on some 

configurations, which could result in 

reduced structural integrity of the 

engine strut. The FAA has determined 

that additional inspections and revised 

compliance times are needed to 

maintain structural integrity. 

FAA’s Determination 

The FAA is issuing this NPRM after 

determining that the unsafe condition 

described previously is likely to exist or 

develop on other products of the same 

type design. 

Related Service Information Under 1 

CFR Part 51 

The FAA reviewed Boeing Alert 

Requirements Bulletin 757–57A0073 

RB, Revision 3, dated May 5, 2023. This 

service information specifies procedures 

for a general visual inspection or 

records check of the wing upper skin at 

the drag fitting attachment holes for any 

existing repair; repetitive general visual 

and detailed inspections for loose 

fasteners, skin cracking, and shim 

migration at the upper link drag fittings, 

and for cracking in the diagonal brace 

and diagonal brace fittings; repetitive 

open-hole high frequency eddy current 

(HFEC) inspections for cracking of the 

fastener holes and loose bolt holes; and 

applicable on-condition actions. Oncondition actions include performing an 

ultrasonic inspection for cracks at any 

repaired upper wing skin location; 

installing the upper link and upper link 

pins; replacing drag fittings; installing 

bolts, washers, and nuts; performing a 

torque check of fasteners on the affected 

shims; trimming affected shims and 

applying chemical conversion coating 

on the shims, fillet seal, and drag 

fittings; and repairing cracks, migrated 

shims, mistorqued bolts, and loose 

fasteners. 

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 ADDRESSES. 

Proposed AD Requirements in This 

NPRM 

Although this proposed AD does not 

explicitly restate the requirements of AD 

2022–08–12, this proposed AD would 

retain all of the requirements of AD 

2022–08–12. Those requirements are 

referenced in the service information 

identified previously, which, in turn, is 

referenced in paragraph (g) of this 

proposed AD. 

This proposed AD would require 

accomplishing the actions specified in 

the service information already 

described except for any differences 

identified as exceptions in the 

regulatory text of this proposed AD. For 

information on the procedures and 

compliance times, see this service 

information at regulations.gov under 

Docket No. FAA–2023–2395. 

Costs of Compliance 

The FAA estimates that this AD, if 

adopted as proposed, would affect 496 

airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA 

estimates the following costs to comply 

with this proposed AD: 

ESTIMATED COSTS

Action Labor cost Parts 

cost Cost per product Cost on U.S. operators 

Repetitive HFEC inspections (retained actions from AD 

2022-08-12).

85 work-hours × $85 per hour = 

$7,225 per inspection cycle.

$0 $7,225 per inspection cycle $3,583,600 per inspection 

cycle. 

New proposed actions ................... Up to 4 work-hours × $85 per hour 

= Up to $340.

0 Up to $340 ......................... Up to $168,640. 

The FAA has received no definitive 

data on which to base the 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. 

The FAA is 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 

The FAA 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) Would not affect intrastate 

aviation in Alaska, and 

(3) Would 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: 

■ a. Removing Airworthiness Directive 

(AD) 2022–08–12, Amendment 39– 

22015 (87 FR 26964, May 6, 2022), and 

■ b. Adding the following new AD: 

The Boeing Company: Docket No. FAA– 

2023–2395; Project Identifier AD–2023– 

00767–T. 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 244 / Thursday, December 21, 2023 / Proposed Rules 88273 

(a) Comments Due Date 

The FAA must receive comments on this 

airworthiness directive (AD) by February 5, 

2024. 

(b) Affected ADs 

This AD replaces AD 2022–08–12, 

Amendment 39–22015 (87 FR 26964, May 6, 

2022) (AD 2022–08–12). 

(c) Applicability 

This AD applies to all The Boeing 

Company Model 757–200, 200PF, –200CB, 

and –300 series airplanes, certificated in any 

category. 

(d) Subject 

Air Transport Association (ATA) of 

America Code 57, Wings. 

(e) Unsafe Condition 

This AD was prompted by reports of bolt 

rotation in the engine drag fitting joint and 

fastener heads and cracks found in the skin 

of the fastener holes, a determination that 

certain drag fittings may be made of alternate 

materials, which could result in reduced 

structural integrity of the engine strut, and a 

determination that additional inspections 

and revised compliance times are needed. 

The FAA is issuing this AD to address 

cracking in the wing upper skin and forward 

drag fittings, which could lead to a 

compromised upper link and reduced 

structural integrity of the engine strut, and 

possible separation of a strut and engine from 

the airplane during flight. 

(f) Compliance 

Comply with this AD within the 

compliance times specified, unless already 

done. 

(g) Required Actions 

Except as specified by paragraph (h) of this 

AD: At the applicable times specified in the 

‘‘Compliance’’ paragraph of Boeing Alert 

Requirements Bulletin 757–57A0073 RB, 

Revision 3, dated May 5, 2023, do all 

applicable actions identified in, and in 

accordance with, the Accomplishment 

Instructions of Boeing Alert Requirements 

Bulletin 757–57A0073 RB, Revision 3, dated 

May 5, 2023. 

Note 1 to paragraph (g): Guidance for 

accomplishing the actions required by this 

AD can be found in Boeing Alert Service 

Bulletin 757–57A0073, Revision 3, dated 

May 5, 2023, which is referred to in Boeing 

Alert Requirements Bulletin 757–57A0073 

RB, Revision 3, dated May 5, 2023. 

(h) Exceptions to Service Information 

Specifications 

(1) Where the Compliance Time columns 

of the tables in the ‘‘Compliance’’ paragraph 

of Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 757– 

57A0073 RB, Revision 3, dated May 5, 2023, 

use the phrase ‘‘the Original Issue date of 

Requirements Bulletin 757–57A0073 RB,’’ 

this AD requires using ‘‘September 10, 2018 

(the effective date of AD 2018–16–05, 

Amendment 39–19345 (83 FR 38250, August 

6, 2018))’’ (AD 2018–16–05). 

(2) Where the Compliance Time columns 

of the tables in the ‘‘Compliance’’ paragraph 

of Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 757– 

57A0073 RB, Revision 3, dated May 5, 2023, 

use the phrase ‘‘the Revision 1 date of 

Requirements Bulletin 757–57A0073 RB,’’ 

this AD requires using ‘‘January 14, 2021 (the 

effective date of AD 2020–21–17, 

Amendment 39–21290 (85 FR 79418, 

December 10, 2020))’’ (AD 2020–21–17). 

(3) Where the Compliance Time columns 

of the tables in the ‘‘Compliance’’ paragraph 

of Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 757– 

57A0073 RB, Revision 3, dated May 5, 2023, 

use the phrase ‘‘the Revision 2 date of 

Requirements Bulletin 757–57A0073 RB,’’ 

this AD requires using ‘‘June 10, 2022 (the 

effective date of AD 2022–08–12).’’ 

(4) Where the Compliance Time columns 

of the tables in the ‘‘Compliance’’ paragraph 

of Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 757– 

57A0073 RB, Revision 3, dated May 5, 2023, 

use the phrase ‘‘the Revision 3 date of 

Requirements Bulletin 757–57A0073 RB,’’ 

this AD requires using the effective date of 

this AD. 

(5) Where Boeing Alert Requirements 

Bulletin 757–57A0073 RB, Revision 3, dated 

May 5, 2023, specifies contacting Boeing for 

repair instructions or for alternative 

inspections: This AD requires doing the 

repair, or doing the alternative inspections 

and applicable on-condition actions using a 

method approved in accordance with the 

procedures specified in paragraph (j) of this 

AD. 

(i) Credit for Previous Actions 

(1) This paragraph provides credit for the 

actions specified in paragraph (g) of this AD, 

except for the open-hole high frequency eddy 

current inspections at fastener locations 11– 

18, if those actions were performed before 

January 14, 2021 (the effective date of AD 

2020–21–17) using Boeing Alert 

Requirements Bulletin 757–57A0073 RB, 

dated July 14, 2017. 

(2) This paragraph provides credit for the 

actions specified in paragraph (g) of this AD, 

if those actions were performed before June 

10, 2022 (the effective date of AD 2022–08– 

12) using Boeing Alert Requirements Bulletin 

757–57A0073 RB, Revision 1, dated August 

1, 2019. 

(3) This paragraph provides credit for the 

actions specified in paragraph (g) of this AD, 

if those actions were performed before the 

effective date of this AD using Boeing Alert 

Requirements Bulletin 757–57A0073 RB, 

Revision 2, dated March 1, 2021. 

(j) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(1) The Manager, AIR–520, Continued 

Operational Safety 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 responsible Flight Standards Office, as 

appropriate. If sending information directly 

to the manager of the certification office, 

send it to the attention of the person 

identified in paragraph (k)(1) of this AD. 

Information may be emailed to: 9-ANMSeattle-ACO-AMOC-Requests@faa.gov. 

(2) Before using any approved AMOC, 

notify your appropriate principal inspector, 

or lacking a principal inspector, the manager 

of the responsible Flight Standards Office. 

(3) An AMOC that provides an acceptable 

level of safety may be used for any repair, 

modification, or alteration required by this 

AD if it is approved by The Boeing Company 

Organization Designation Authorization 

(ODA) that has been authorized by the 

Manager, AIR–520, Continued Operational 

Safety Branch, FAA, to make those findings. 

To be approved, the repair method, 

modification deviation, or alteration 

deviation must meet the certification basis of 

the airplane, and the approval must 

specifically refer to this AD. 

(4) AMOCs approved for AD 2022–08–12 

are approved as AMOCs for the 

corresponding provisions of Boeing Alert 

Requirements Bulletin 757–57A0073 RB, 

Revision 3, dated May 5, 2023, that are 

required by paragraph (g) of this AD, except 

for AMOCs approved for locations at the 

wing skin and drag fittings at the upper link 

drag fittings (fasteners 1–18). 

(5) AMOCs approved for AD 2020–21–17 

are approved as AMOCs for the 

corresponding provisions of Boeing Alert 

Requirements Bulletin 757–57A0073 RB, 

Revision 3, dated May 5, 2023, that are 

required by paragraph (g) of this AD, except 

for AMOCs approved for locations at the 

wing skin and drag fittings at the upper link 

drag fittings (fasteners 1–18). 

(6) AMOCs approved for AD 2018–16–05 

are approved as AMOCs for the 

corresponding provisions of Boeing Alert 

Requirements Bulletin 757–57A0073 RB, 

Revision 3, dated May 5, 2023, that are 

required by paragraph (g) of this AD, except 

for AMOCs approved for locations at the 

wing skin and drag fittings at the upper link 

drag fittings (fasteners 1–18). 

(k) Related Information 

(1) For more information about this AD, 

contact Wayne Ha, Aviation Safety Engineer, 

FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 

98198; telephone 562–627–5238; email 

wayne.ha@faa.gov. 

(2) Service information identified in this 

AD that is not incorporated by reference is 

available at the addresses specified in 

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

(l) 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 Requirements Bulletin 

757–57A0073 RB, Revision 3, dated May 5, 

2023. 

(ii) [Reserved] 

(3) For service information identified in 

this AD, contact Boeing Commercial 

Airplanes, Attention: Contractual & Data 

Services (C&DS), 2600 Westminster Blvd., 

MC 110–SK57, Seal Beach, CA 90740–5600; 

telephone 562–797–1717; website 

myboeingfleet.com. 

(4) You may view this service information 

at the FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, 

Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th 

St., Des Moines, WA. For information on the 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
88274 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 244 / Thursday, December 21, 2023 / Proposed Rules 

availability of this material at the FAA, call 

206–231–3195. 

(5) You may view this material at the 

National Archives and Records 

Administration (NARA). For information on 

the availability of this material at NARA, 

visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ 

ibr-locations or email fr.inspection@nara.gov. 

Issued on December 14, 2023. 

Victor Wicklund, 

Deputy Director, Compliance & Airworthiness 

Division, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–28004 Filed 12–20–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2023–2244; Project 

Identifier MCAI–2023–00972–R] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Leonardo 

S.p.a. Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a 

new airworthiness directive (AD) for all 

Leonardo S.p.a Model AW169 

helicopters. This proposed AD was 

prompted by a determination that new 

or more restrictive airworthiness 

limitations are necessary. This proposed 

AD would require revising the 

airworthiness limitations section (ALS) 

of the existing helicopter maintenance 

manual or instructions for continued 

airworthiness (ICA) for your helicopter 

and the existing approved maintenance 

or inspection program for your 

helicopter, as applicable, as specified in 

a European Union Aviation Safety 

Agency (EASA) AD, which is proposed 

for incorporation by reference. The FAA 

is proposing this AD to address the 

unsafe condition on these products. 

DATES: The FAA must receive comments 

on this proposed AD by February 5, 

2024. 

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 

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. 

AD Docket: You may examine the AD 

docket at regulations.gov under Docket 

No. FAA–2023–2244; or in person at 

Docket Operations between 9 a.m. and 

5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. The AD docket 

contains this NPRM, the EASA AD, any 

comments received, and other 

information. The street address for 

Docket Operations is listed above. 

Material Incorporated by Reference: 

• For EASA material that is proposed 

for incorporation by reference in this 

NPRM, contact EASA, KonradAdenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, 

Germany; telephone +49 221 8999 000; 

email ADs@easa.europa.eu; internet 

easa.europa.eu. You may find the EASA 

material on the EASA website at 

ad.easa.europa.eu. 

• You may view this material at the 

FAA, Office of the Regional Counsel, 

Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood 

Pkwy., Room 6N–321, Fort Worth, TX 

76177. For information on the 

availability of this material at the FAA, 

call (817) 222–5110. The EASA material 

is also available at regulations.gov under 

Docket No. FAA–2023–2244. 

Other Related Service Information: 

For Leonardo Helicopters service 

information identified in this NPRM, 

contact Leonardo S.p.A., Emanuele 

Bufano, Head of Airworthiness, Viale G. 

Agusta 520, 21017 C. Costa di Samarate 

(Va) Italy; telephone (+39) 0331–225074; 

fax (+39) 0331–229046; or at 

customerportal.leonardocompany.com/ 

en-US/. You may also view this service 

information at the FAA contact 

information under Material 

Incorporated by Reference above. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sungmo Cho, Aviation Safety Engineer, 

FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, 

Westbury, NY 11590; phone (781) 238– 

7241; email: Sungmo.D.Cho@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

The FAA invites you to send any 

written relevant data, views, or 

arguments about this proposal. Send 

your comments to an address listed 

under ADDRESSES. Include ‘‘Docket No. 

FAA–2023–2244; Project Identifier 

MCAI–2023–00972–R’’ at the beginning 

of your comments. The most helpful 

comments reference a specific portion of 

the proposal, explain the reason for any 

recommended change, and include 

supporting data. The FAA will consider 

all comments received by the closing 

date and may amend this proposal 

because of those comments. 

Except for Confidential Business 

Information (CBI) as described in the 

following paragraph, and other 

information as described in 14 CFR 

11.35, the FAA will post all comments 

received, without change, to 

regulations.gov, including any personal 

information you provide. The agency 

will also post a report summarizing each 

substantive verbal contact received 

about this NPRM. 

Confidential Business Information 

CBI is commercial or financial 

information that is both customarily and 

actually treated as private by its owner. 

Under the Freedom of Information Act 

(FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt 

from public disclosure. If your 

comments responsive to this NPRM 

contain commercial or financial 

information that is customarily treated 

as private, that you actually treat as 

private, and that is relevant or 

responsive to this NPRM, it is important 

that you clearly designate the submitted 

comments as CBI. Please mark each 

page of your submission containing CBI 

as ‘‘PROPIN.’’ The FAA will treat such 

marked submissions as confidential 

under the FOIA, and they will not be 

placed in the public docket of this 

NPRM. Submissions containing CBI 

should be sent to Sungmo Cho, Aviation 

Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart 

Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 

11590; phone (781) 238–7241; email: 

Sungmo.D.Cho@faa.gov. Any 

commentary that the FAA receives that 

is not specifically designated as CBI will 

be placed in the public docket for this 

rulemaking. 

Background 

EASA, which is the Technical Agent 

for the Member States of the European 

Union, issued a series of ADs with the 

most recent being EASA AD 2023–0160, 

dated August 16, 2023 (EASA AD 2023– 

0160), to correct an unsafe condition for 

Leonardo S.p.A. Model AW169 

helicopters. 

This proposed AD was prompted by 

a determination that new or more 

restrictive airworthiness limitations are 

necessary. The FAA is proposing this 

AD to address fatigue cracking, damage, 

and corrosion in principal structural 

elements. 

You may examine the EASA AD in 

the AD docket at regulations.gov under 

Docket No. FAA–2023–2244. 

Related Service Information Under 1 

CFR Part 51 

EASA AD 2023–0160 requires 

replacing components before exceeding 

their life limits and accomplishing 

maintenance tasks within thresholds 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS