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

1703 

Vol. 87, No. 8 

Wednesday, January 12, 2022 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2021–1172; Project 

Identifier MCAI–2021–00939–T] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS 

Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a 

new airworthiness directive (AD) for 

certain Airbus SAS Model A300 series 

airplanes Model A300 B4–600, B4– 

600R, and F4–600R series airplanes, and 

Model A300 C4–605R Variant F 

airplanes (collectively called Model 

A300–600 series airplanes). This 

proposed AD was prompted by reports 

of cracking in the main landing gear 

(MLG) support rib 5 lower flange. This 

proposed AD would require a one-time 

detailed inspection (DET) of the affected 

area, and applicable corrective actions, 

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 28, 

2022. 

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 

https://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 material that will be incorporated 

by reference (IBR) in this AD, contact 

EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 

Cologne, Germany; telephone +49 221 

8999 000; email ADs@easa.europa.eu; 

internet www.easa.europa.eu. You may 

find this material on the EASA website 

at https://ad.easa.europa.eu. You may 

view this material 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 in the AD docket at 

https://www.regulations.gov by 

searching for and locating Docket No. 

FAA–2021–1172. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the AD docket at 

https://www.regulations.gov by 

searching for and locating Docket No. 

FAA–2021–1172; 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 mandatory continuing 

airworthiness information (MCAI), any 

comments received, and other 

information. The street address for 

Docket Operations is listed above. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan 

Rodina, Aerospace Engineer, Large 

Aircraft Section, FAA, International 

Validation Branch, 2200 South 216th 

St., Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone 

and fax 206–231–3225; email 

dan.rodina@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–2021–1172; Project Identifier 

MCAI–2021–00939–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 https://

www.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 Dan Rodina, 

Aerospace Engineer, Large Aircraft 

Section, FAA, International Validation 

Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des 

Moines, WA 98198; telephone and fax 

206–231–3225; email dan.rodina@

faa.gov. Any commentary that the FAA 

receives which 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, has issued EASA AD 2021–0190, 

dated August 17, 2021 (EASA AD 2021– 

0190) (also referred to as the MCAI), to 

correct an unsafe condition for certain 

Airbus SAS Model A300, A300–600, 

and A300–600ST airplanes. Model 

A300–600ST airplanes are not 

certificated by the FAA and are not 

included on the U.S. type certificate 

data sheet; this AD therefore does not 

include those airplanes in the 

applicability. 

This proposed AD was prompted by 

reports of cracking in the MLG support 

rib 5 lower flange, inboard and outboard 

of rib 5, on the right-hand and left-hand 


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1704 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 8 / Wednesday, January 12, 2022 / Proposed Rules 

sides. The cracking was found during 

routine maintenance checks on 

airplanes that do not have Airbus 

modification 11912 embodied and on 

which fastener hole spot facing 

modifications had been embodied in the 

affected area. The FAA is proposing this 

AD to address cracking of the MLG 

support rib 5 lower flange. This 

condition, if not detected and corrected, 

could affect the structural integrity of 

the airplane. See the MCAI for 

additional background information. 

Related Service Information Under 1 

CFR Part 51 

EASA AD 2021–0190 specifies 

procedures for a DET of the affected 

area, a one-time fluorescent penetrant 

inspection (FPI) around some fastener 

holes in the affected area, and 

applicable corrective action(s) including 

crack repair. This material 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. 

FAA’s Determination 

These products have been approved 

by the aviation authority of another 

country and are approved for operation 

in the United States. Pursuant to the 

FAA’s bilateral agreement with the State 

of Design Authority, it has notified the 

FAA of the unsafe condition described 

in the MCAI referenced above. The FAA 

is issuing this NPRM after determining 

that the unsafe condition described 

previously is likely to exist or develop 

in other products of the same type 

design. 

Proposed AD Requirements in This 

NPRM 

This proposed AD would require 

accomplishing the actions specified in 

EASA AD 2021–0190 described 

previously, except for any differences 

identified as exceptions in the 

regulatory text of this proposed AD. 

Explanation of Required Compliance 

Information 

In the FAA’s ongoing efforts to 

improve the efficiency of the AD 

process, the FAA developed a process to 

use some civil aviation authority (CAA) 

ADs as the primary source of 

information for compliance with 

requirements for corresponding FAA 

ADs. The FAA has been coordinating 

this process with manufacturers and 

CAAs. As a result, the FAA proposes to 

incorporate EASA AD 2021–0190 by 

reference in the FAA final rule. This 

proposed AD would, therefore, require 

compliance with EASA AD 2021–0190 

in its entirety through that 

incorporation, except for any differences 

identified as exceptions in the 

regulatory text of this proposed AD. 

Using common terms that are the same 

as the heading of a particular section in 

EASA AD 2021–0190 does not mean 

that operators need comply only with 

that section. For example, where the AD 

requirement refers to ‘‘all required 

actions and compliance times,’’ 

compliance with this AD requirement is 

not limited to the section titled 

‘‘Required Action(s) and Compliance 

Time(s)’’ in EASA AD 2021–0190. 

Service information required by EASA 

AD 2021–0190 for compliance will be 

available at https://www.regulations.gov 

by searching for and locating Docket No. 

FAA–2021–1172 after the FAA final 

rule is published. 

Costs of Compliance 

The FAA estimates that this proposed 

AD would affect 124 airplanes of U.S. 

registry. The FAA estimates the 

following costs to comply with this 

proposed AD: 

ESTIMATED COSTS FOR REQUIRED ACTIONS

Labor cost Parts cost Cost per 

product 

Cost on U.S. 

operators 

23 work-hours × $85 per hour = $1,955 ..................................................................................... $0 $1,955 $242,420 

The FAA estimates the following 

costs to replace any cracked rib that 

would be required based on the results 

of any required actions and repair 

status. The FAA has no way of 

determining the number of aircraft that 

might need this on-condition action: 

ESTIMATED COSTS OF ON-CONDITION ACTIONS

Labor cost Parts cost Cost per product 

Up to 1,500 work-hours × $85 per hour = $127,500 .................................................................................. $620,000 Up to $747,500. 

The FAA has received no definitive 

data on which to base the cost estimates 

for the repair 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 


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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 8 / Wednesday, January 12, 2022 / Proposed Rules 1705 

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: 

Airbus SAS: Docket No. FAA–2021–1172; 

Project Identifier MCAI–2021–00939–T. 

(a) Comments Due Date 

The FAA must receive comments on this 

airworthiness directive (AD) by February 28, 

2022. 

(b) Affected ADs 

None. 

(c) Applicability 

This AD applies to the Airbus SAS 

airplanes, certificated in any category, 

without Airbus modification 11912 and 

identified in figure 1 to paragraph (c) of this 

AD. 

(d) Subject 

Air Transport Association (ATA) of 

America Code 57, Wings. 

(e) Unsafe Condition 

This AD was prompted by reports of 

cracking in the main landing gear (MLG) 

support rib 5 lower flange, inboard and 

outboard of Rib 5, on the right-hand and lefthand sides. The FAA is issuing this AD to 

address cracking of the MLG support rib 5 

lower flange. This condition, if not detected 

and corrected, could affect the structural 

integrity of the airplane. 

(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, European Union Aviation 

Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2021–0190, dated 

August 17, 2021 (EASA AD 2021–0190). 

(h) Exceptions to EASA AD 2021–0190 

(1) Where EASA AD 2021–0190 refers to its 

effective date, this AD requires using the 

effective date of this AD. 

(2) Where paragraph (3) of EASA AD 2021– 

0190 specifies to ‘‘accomplish those 

instructions accordingly’’ if any crack is 

detected, for this AD if any crack is detected, 

the crack must be repaired before further 

flight using a method approved by the 

Manager, Large Aircraft Section, 

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) The ‘‘Remarks’’ section of EASA AD 

2021–0190 does not apply to this AD. 

(i) Additional AD Provisions 

The following provisions also apply to this 

AD: 

(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance 

(AMOCs): The Manager, Large Aircraft 

Section, 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 Large Aircraft 

Section, International Validation Branch, 

send it to the attention of the person 

identified in paragraph (j)(2) of this AD. 

Information may be emailed to: 9-AVS-AIR730-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, Large Aircraft Section, 

International Validation Branch, FAA; or 

EASA; or Airbus SAS’s EASA DOA. If 


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Figure 1 to paragraph ( c ): Affected airplanes by MSN 

Model 

A300 B2-1A, B2-1C, B2K-3C, 

B2-203, B4-2C, B4-103, and 

B4-203 airplanes 

A300 B4-601, B4-603, B4-620, 

and B4-622 airplanes 

A300 B4-605R and B4-622R 

airplanes 

A300 C4-605R Variant F 

airplanes 

A300 F4-605R and F4-622R 

airplanes 

Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) 

075, 080, 090, 107, 126, 139, 141, 151, 154, 157, 

173,175,183,203,210,212,227,235,239,255, 

256,261,274,277,292,299,and302 

358,361,365,380,388,401,405,408,417,464, 

477,479,518,521,530,532,536,543,546,553, 

555,557,559,561,572,575,579,581,584,602, 

603,607,608,611,613,617,618,621,623,625, 

626,630,632,633,637,641,643,657,659,664, 

666,668,670,677,679,683,688,696,701,703, 

707,709,711,713,715,717,722,723,724,725, 

726,727,728,729,730,732,733,734,735,736, 

737,738,739,740,741,742,743,744,745,746, 

748,749,750,752,753,754,755,756,757,758, 

759,760,761,762,763,764,766,768,769,770, 

771,772,773,774,775,777,778,779,780,781, 

783, 789, 790, and 791 
1706 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 8 / Wednesday, January 12, 2022 / Proposed Rules 

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 referenced in EASA 

AD 2021–0190 contains paragraphs that are 

labeled as RC, the instructions in RC 

paragraphs, including subparagraphs under 

an RC paragraph, must be done to comply 

with this AD; any paragraphs, including 

subparagraphs under those paragraphs, that 

are not identified as RC are recommended. 

The instructions in paragraphs, including 

subparagraphs under those paragraphs, 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 instructions identified 

as RC can be done and the airplane can be 

put back in an airworthy condition. Any 

substitutions or changes to instructions 

identified as RC require approval of an 

AMOC. 

(j) Related Information 

(1) For EASA AD 2021–0190, contact 

EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 

Cologne, Germany; telephone +49 221 8999 

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

www.easa.europa.eu. You may find this 

EASA AD on the EASA website at https://

ad.easa.europa.eu. You may view this 

material 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. This 

material may be found in the AD docket at 

https://www.regulations.gov by searching for 

and locating Docket No. FAA–2021–1172. 

(2) For more information about this AD, 

contact Dan Rodina, Aerospace Engineer, 

Large Aircraft Section, FAA, International 

Validation Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des 

Moines, WA 98198; telephone and fax 206– 

231–3225; email dan.rodina@faa.gov. 

Issued on December 29, 2021. 

Lance T. Gant, 

Director, Compliance & Airworthiness 

Division, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–28510 Filed 1–11–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2021–1174; Project 

Identifier MCAI–2021–00246–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 

supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 

2020–23–07, which applies to certain 

Leonardo S.p.a. Model AB139 and 

AW139 helicopters. AD 2020–23–07 

requires removing certain life raft 

reservoirs (reservoirs) from service, 

inspecting the reservoirs and actuator 

cables, and depending on the inspection 

results, replacing the reservoir or 

adjusting the actuator cable. Since the 

FAA issued AD 2020–23–07, additional 

serial-numbered reservoirs were 

identified as also being affected by the 

unsafe condition. This proposed AD 

would retain certain requirements of AD 

2020–23–07, expand the required 

actions to include additional serialnumbered reservoirs, and update 

applicable service information. 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 28, 

2022. 

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 

https://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 NPRM, contact Leonardo S.p.A. 

Helicopters, 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 https://

customerportal.leonardocompany.com/ 

en-US/. You may view this service 

information 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. 

Examining the AD Docket 

You may examine the AD docket at 

https://www.regulations.gov by 

searching for and locating Docket No. 

FAA–2021–1174; 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 European Union Aviation 

Safety Agency (EASA) AD, any 

comments received, and other 

information. The street address for 

Docket Operations is listed above. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Darren Gassetto, Aerospace Engineer, 

COS Program Management Section, 

Operational Safety Branch, Compliance 

& Airworthiness Division, FAA, 1600 

Stewart Ave., Suite 410, Westbury, NY 

11590; telephone (516) 228–7323; email 

Darren.Gassetto@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–2021–1174; Project Identifier 

MCAI–2021–00246–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 https://

www.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 Darren Gassetto, 

Aerospace Engineer, COS Program 

Management Section, Operational 

Safety Branch, Compliance & 

Airworthiness Division, FAA, 1600 

Stewart Ave., Suite 410, Westbury, NY 

11590; telephone (516) 228–7323; email 


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