Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 2 / Wednesday, January 3, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 237 

(a) Effective Date 

This airworthiness directive (AD) is 

effective February 7, 2024. 

(b) Affected ADs 

This AD replaces AD 2020–24–12, 

Amendment 39–21342 (85 FR 76949, 

December 1, 2020) (AD 2020–24–12). 

(c) Applicability 

This AD applies to Airbus SAS Model 

A350–941 airplanes, certificated in any 

category, as identified in European Union 

Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2023– 

0068, dated March 30, 2023 (EASA AD 2023– 

0068). 

(d) Subject 

Air Transport Association (ATA) of 

America Code 57, Wings. 

(e) Unsafe Condition 

This AD was prompted by reports that 

certain center wing box (CWB) fasteners had 

rotated inside the fastener holes due to 

insufficient friction for the application, and 

by the determination that additional work is 

necessary to ensure the correct application of 

the fuel vapor barrier structure paint on the 

outside of the CWB. The FAA is issuing this 

AD to address CWB fastener rotation. The 

unsafe condition, if not corrected, could lead 

to cracking of the fastener head sealant cover, 

followed by fuel vapor leakage inside the 

cabin, possibly resulting in injury to airplane 

occupants. 

(f) Compliance 

Comply with this AD within the 

compliance times specified, unless already 

done. 

(g) Requirements 

Except as specified in paragraph (h) of this 

AD: Comply with all required actions and 

compliance times specified in, and in 

accordance with, EASA AD 2023–0068. 

(h) Exceptions to EASA AD 2023–0068 

(1) This AD does not adopt the ‘‘Remarks’’ 

section of EASA AD 2023–0068. 

(2) Where EASA AD 2023–0068 refers to its 

effective date, this AD requires using the 

effective date of this AD. 

(i) Additional AD Provisions 

The following provisions also apply to this 

AD: 

(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs): The Manager, International 

Validation 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 International Validation Branch, send 

it to the attention of the person identified in 

paragraph (j) of this AD. Information may be 

emailed to: 9-AVS-AIR-730-AMOC@faa.gov. 

Before using any approved AMOC, notify 

your appropriate principal inspector, or 

lacking a principal inspector, the manager of 

the responsible Flight Standards Office. 

(2) Contacting the Manufacturer: For any 

requirement in this AD to obtain instructions 

from a manufacturer, the instructions must 

be accomplished using a method approved 

by the Manager, International Validation 

Branch, FAA; or EASA; or Airbus SAS’s 

EASA Design Organization Approval (DOA). 

If approved by the DOA, the approval must 

include the DOA-authorized signature. 

(3) Required for Compliance (RC): Except 

as required by paragraph (i)(2) of this AD, 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) Additional Information 

For more information about this AD, 

contact Dat Le, Aviation Safety Engineer, 

FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, 

Westbury, NY 11590; telephone (516) 228– 

7317; email dat.v.le@faa.gov. 

(k) 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 this AD specifies otherwise. 

(i) European Union Aviation Safety Agency 

(EASA) AD 2023–0068, dated March 30, 

2023. 

(ii) [Reserved] 

(3) For EASA AD 2023–0068, contact 

EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 

Cologne, Germany; telephone +49 221 8999 

000; email ADs@easa.europa.eu; website 

easa.europa.eu. You may find this EASA AD 

on the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu. 

(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 

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. 2023–28848 Filed 1–2–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2023–2005; Project 

Identifier AD–2022–01523–A; Amendment 

39–22646; AD 2023–26–03] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; WACO 

Classic Aircraft Corporation Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 

WACO Classic Aircraft Corporation 

Model 2T–1A–2 airplanes. This AD was 

prompted by reports of multiple types of 

cracks at the leading edge former ribs 

and trailing edge former ribs in the 

upper wing center section. This AD 

requires installing maneuver restriction 

placards in the front and rear cockpits, 

inspecting the leading and trailing edge 

former ribs for cracking, replacing any 

cracked ribs, modifying the upper wing 

center section assembly, and removing 

the maneuver restriction placards after 

completing the modification. The FAA 

is issuing this AD to address the unsafe 

condition on these products. 

DATES: This AD is effective February 7, 

2024. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of a certain publication listed in this AD 

as of February 7, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: 

AD Docket: You may examine the AD 

docket at regulations.gov under Docket 

No. FAA–2023–2005; 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 final rule, any comments 

received, and other information. The 

address for Docket Operations is U.S. 

Department of Transportation, Docket 

Operations, M–30, West Building 

Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 

20590. 

Material Incorporated by Reference: 

• For service information identified 

in this final rule, contact WACO Classic 

Aircraft Corporation, 15955 South 

Airport Road, Battle Creek, MI 49015; 

phone: (269) 565–1000; email: hello@

wacoaircraft.com.; website: 

wacoaircraft.com. 

• You may view this service 

information at the FAA, Airworthiness 

Products Section, Operational Safety 

Branch, 901 Locust, Kansas City, MO 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES1
238 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 2 / Wednesday, January 3, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

64106. For information on the 

availability of this material at the FAA, 

call (817) 222–5110. It is also available 

at regulations.gov under Docket No. 

FAA–2023–2005. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim 

Eichor, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 

1801 S Airport Road, Wichita, KS 

67209; phone: (847) 294–7141; email: 

tim.d.eichor@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The FAA issued a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 

part 39 by adding an AD that would 

apply to certain WACO Classic Aircraft 

Corporation Model 2T–1A–2 airplanes. 

The NPRM published in the Federal 

Register on October 27, 2023 (88 FR 

73780). The NPRM was prompted by 

reports of multiple types of cracks after 

low flight hours on WACO Classic 

Aircraft Corporation Model 2T–1A–2 

airplanes. The cracks were 

approximately 1 to 1.5 inches long and 

located in the leading edge former ribs 

and trailing edge former ribs in the 

upper wing center section, along the top 

flange where the ribs attach to the spar. 

Due to the cracking, the fabric support 

channels have come close to separating 

from the trailing edge former ribs. When 

fabric support channels detach from a 

rib, they would still be attached to the 

fabric, but the upper center wing airfoil 

may not maintain its shape due to the 

fabric support channels being pulled up 

by aerodynamic loads, which could lead 

to unexpected and unknown flight 

characteristics. The type certificate 

holder determined that this unsafe 

condition affects airplane serial 

numbers 1200 and subsequent with the 

upper wing center section assembly 

30116–100 configuration. In the NPRM, 

the FAA proposed to require installing 

maneuver restriction placards in the 

front and rear cockpits, inspecting the 

leading and trailing edge former ribs for 

cracking, replacing any cracked ribs, 

modifying the upper wing center section 

assembly, and removing the maneuver 

restriction placards after completing the 

modification. The FAA is issuing this 

AD to address the unsafe condition on 

these products. 

Discussion of Final Airworthiness 

Directive 

Comments 

The FAA received no comments on 

the NPRM or on the determination of 

the costs. 

Conclusion 

The FAA reviewed the relevant data 

and determined that air safety requires 

adopting this AD as proposed. 

Accordingly, the FAA is issuing this AD 

to address the unsafe condition on these 

products. This AD is adopted as 

proposed in the NPRM. 

Related Service Information Under 1 

CFR Part 51 

The FAA reviewed WACO Great 

Lakes 2T–1A–2 Service Bulletin GL– 

SB0002, Revision NR, dated July 6, 2023 

(WACO SB 2T–1A–2, Revision NR). 

This service information specifies 

procedures for inspecting the leading 

edge former ribs and trailing edge 

former ribs in the upper wing center 

section for cracking, replacing any 

cracked ribs, and modifying the upper 

wing center section assembly by 

installing new fabric support channels, 

saddles, and brackets. Modifying the 

upper wing center section assembly 

changes the configuration from the 

30116–100 upper wing center section 

assembly configuration to the 30116– 

104 upper wing center section assembly 

configuration. 

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. 

Difference Between This AD and the 

Service Information 

Although section B of the 

Accomplishment Instructions in WACO 

SB 2T–1A–2, Revision NR, specifies to 

record the locations of all identified 

cracks found on the leading edge former 

ribs and the trailing edge former ribs 

and share this information with WACO 

Aircraft, this AD does not require those 

actions. 

Costs of Compliance 

The FAA estimates that this AD 

affects 19 airplanes of U.S. registry. 

The FAA estimates the following 

costs to comply with this AD: 

ESTIMATED COSTS

Action Labor cost Parts cost Cost per 

product 

Cost on 

U.S. 

operators 

Maneuver restriction placard installation/removal.1 work-hour × $85 per hour = $85 .................. $10 $95 $1,805 

Rib inspection .................................................... 4 work-hours × $85 per hour = $340 ............... 0 340 6,460 

Upper wing center assembly modification ........ 185 work-hours × $85 per hour = $15,725 ...... 4,063 19,788 375,972 

The FAA estimates the following 

costs to do any necessary rib 

replacement that would be required 

based on the results of the inspection. 

The agency has no way of determining 

the number of airplanes that might need 

this replacement: 

ON-CONDITION COSTS

Action Labor cost Parts cost Cost per 

product 

Rib replacement (8 ribs) .................................................. 16 work-hours × $85 per hour = $1,360 (8 ribs) .......... $1,032 (8 

ribs).

$2,392 (8 

ribs). 

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 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with RULES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 2 / Wednesday, January 3, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 239 

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 

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) Will not affect intrastate aviation 

in Alaska, and 

(3) Will not have a significant 

economic impact, positive or negative, 

on a substantial number of small entities 

under the criteria of the Regulatory 

Flexibility Act. 

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39 

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation 

safety, Incorporation by reference, 

Safety. 

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 adding 

the following new airworthiness 

directive: 

2023–26–03 WACO Classic Aircraft 

Corporation: Amendment 39–22646; 

Docket No. FAA–2023–2005; Project 

Identifier AD–2022–01523–A. 

(a) Effective Date 

This airworthiness directive (AD) is 

effective February 7, 2024. 

(b) Affected ADs 

None. 

(c) Applicability 

This AD applies to WACO Classic Aircraft 

Corporation Model 2T–1A–2 airplanes, serial 

numbers 1200 and subsequent with the 

30116–100 upper wing center section 

assembly configuration, certificated in any 

category. 

(d) Subject 

Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC) 

Code 5712, Wing, Rib/Bulkhead. 

(e) Unsafe Condition 

This AD was prompted by reports of 

multiple cracks at the leading edge former 

ribs and trailing edge former ribs in the upper 

wing center section along the top flange 

where the ribs attach to the spar after low 

flight hours. The FAA is issuing this AD to 

detect and correct cracks in the leading and 

trailing edge former ribs in the upper wing 

center section. The unsafe condition, if not 

addressed, could result in reduced structural 

integrity of the airplane and the reduced 

ability of the flightcrew to maintain the safe 

flight and landing of the airplane. 

(f) Compliance 

Comply with this AD within the 

compliance times specified, unless already 

done. 

(g) Required Actions 

(1) Within 30 days after the effective date 

of this AD, insert maneuver restriction 

placards on the instrument panel of the front 

and rear cockpits, and next to the operating 

placard in the rear cockpit, stating ‘‘NO 

AEROBATIC MANEUVERS ALLOWED.’’ 

(2) Within 100 hours time-in-service (TIS) 

or within 12 months after the effective date 

of this AD, whichever occurs first, 

accomplish the following: 

(i) Inspect the leading edge former ribs and 

trailing edge former ribs in the upper wing 

center section for cracking in accordance 

with section B and before further flight, 

replace any cracked rib in accordance with 

section C of the Accomplishment 

Instructions in WACO Great Lakes 2T–1A–2 

Service Bulletin GL–SB0002, Revision NR, 

dated July 6, 2023 (WACO SB 2T–1A–2, 

Revision NR). Although section B of the 

Accomplishment Instructions in WACO SB 

2T–1A–2, Revision NR, specifies to record 

the locations of all identified cracks found on 

the leading edge former ribs and the trailing 

edge former ribs and share this information 

with WACO Aircraft, this AD does not 

require those actions. 

(ii) Modify the center section to the 30116– 

104 upper wing center section assembly 

configuration in accordance with section C of 

the Accomplishment Instructions in WACO 

SB 2T–1A–2, Revision NR. 

(3) After replacing all cracked ribs and 

modifying the center section to the 30116– 

104 upper wing center section assembly 

configuration, aerobatic maneuvers can 

resume and the ‘‘NO AEROBATIC 

MANEUVERS ALLOWED’’ maneuver 

restriction placards can be removed from the 

front and rear cockpits. 

(h) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs) 

(1) The Manager, Central Certification 

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 manager of the Central Certification 

Branch, send it to the attention of the person 

identified in paragraph (i) of this AD. 

(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. 

(i) Additional Information 

For more information about this AD, 

contact Tim Eichor, Aviation Safety 

Engineer, FAA, 1801 S Airport Road, 

Wichita, KS 67209; phone: (847) 294–7141; 

email: tim.d.eichor@faa.gov. 

(j) 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) WACO Great Lakes 2T–1A–2 Service 

Bulletin GL–SB0002, Revision NR, dated July 

6, 2023. 

(ii) [Reserved] 

(3) For service information identified in 

this AD, contact WACO Classic Aircraft 

Corporation, 15955 South Airport Road, 

Battle Creek, MI 49015; phone: (269) 565– 

1000; email: hello@wacoaircraft.com.; 

website: wacoaircraft.com. 

(4) You may view this service information 

at the FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, 

Operational Safety Branch, 901 Locust, 

Kansas City, MO 64106. For information on 

the availability of this material at the FAA, 

call (817) 222–5110. 

(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 21, 2023. 

Caitlin Locke, 

Director, Compliance & Airworthiness 

Division, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–28877 Filed 1–2–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 


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