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[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 82 (Thursday, April 30, 2009)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 19876-19877]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-9714]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2007-0391; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-271-AD; 
Amendment 39-15891; AD 2009-09-05]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A318-100 and A319-100 
Series Airplanes; A320-111 Airplanes; A320-200 Series Airplanes; and 
A321-100 and A321-200 Series Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive 
(AD), which applies to certain Airbus Model A318-100 and A319-100 
series airplanes; A320-111 airplanes; A320-200 series airplanes; and 
A321-100 and A321-200 series airplanes. That AD currently requires a 
one-time inspection of the horizontal hinge pin of the 103VU electrical 
panel in the avionics compartment to determine if the hinge pin can 
move out of the hinge, and related investigative and corrective actions 
if necessary. This new AD instead requires installing a hinge pin 
stopper on the internal door of the 103VU electrical panel. This AD 
results from a report indicating that electrical wire damage was found 
in the 103VU electrical panel due to contact between the hinge pin and 
the adjacent electrical wire harness. We are issuing this AD to prevent 
contact between the horizontal hinge pin and the adjacent electrical 
wire harness, which could result in damage to electrical wires, and 
consequent arcing and/or failure of associated systems.

DATES: This AD becomes effective June 4, 2009.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of a certain publication listed in the AD as of June 4, 2009.

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Airbus, Airworthiness Office--EAS, 1 Rond Point Maurice Bellonte, 31707 
Blagnac Cedex, France; telephone +33 5 61 93 36 96; fax +33 5 61 93 44 
51; e-mail: [email protected]; Internet http://www.airbus.com.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov; 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 (telephone 800-647-5527) is the Document 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: Tim Dulin, Aerospace Engineer, 
International Branch, ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 
1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 98057-3356; telephone (425) 
227-2141; fax (425) 227-1149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

    The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 
CFR part 39 to include an AD that supersedes AD 2006-03-10, amendment 
39-14474 (71 FR 6665, February 9, 2006). The existing AD applies to 
certain Airbus Model A318-100 and A319-100 series airplanes; A320-111 
airplanes; A320-200 series airplanes; and A321-100 and A321-200 series 
airplanes. That NPRM was published in the Federal Register on January 
9, 2008 (73 FR 1558). That NPRM proposed to discontinue the existing 
requirements and instead require installing a hinge pin stopper on the 
internal door of the 103VU electrical panel. This AD results from a 
report indicating that electrical wire damage was found in the 103VU 
electrical panel due to contact between the hinge pin and the adjacent 
electrical wire harness.

Comments

    We provided the public the opportunity to participate in the 
development of this AD. We have considered the comments that have been 
received on the NPRM.

Request for Additional Action

    The Air Transport Association (ATA), on behalf of one of its 
members, Northwest Airlines (NWA), notes that the proposed modification 
prevents only outboard migration of the pins, and requests that the AD 
be changed to require a hinge pin stopper to be added to both ends of 
the hinge to completely contain the hinge pin and prevent inboard 
migration.
    We do not agree with ATA's request. We are issuing this AD to 
address potential wire damage due to outboard migration of the hinge 
pin. There is no potential of wire damage due to inboard migration of 
the pin. However, if additional data show that inboard migration of the 
hinge pin causes an unsafe condition, we might consider further 
rulemaking. We have not changed the AD in this regard.

Request for Alternate Modification

    The ATA, on behalf of NWA, requests that the AD be changed to allow 
the hinge stoppers to be installed using the existing hole in the lower 
angle fitting (part number D92510153000) adjacent to the end hinge 
mounting hole, instead of drilling a new hole through the hinge 
assembly. NWA states that this change would eliminate the need for any 
drilling during modification, and would more easily facilitate 
accomplishment within the line maintenance environment, providing 
greater scheduling flexibility.
    We do not agree with ATA's request. Airbus Mandatory Service 
Bulletin A320-25-1535, dated April 27, 2007, specifies drilling a hole 
on the hinge. The commenter did not provide sufficient data to 
substantiate that using the existing hole would address the identified 
unsafe condition. To use a different method from the one specified in 
that service bulletin, operators may request approval of an alternative 
method of compliance (AMOC) according to paragraph (g) of the AD. We 
have not changed the AD in this regard.

Conclusion

    We have carefully reviewed the available data, including the 
comments that have been submitted, and determined that air safety and 
the public interest require adopting the AD as proposed.

Costs of Compliance

    This AD affects about 658 Airbus Model A318-100 and A319-100 series 
airplanes; A320-111 airplanes; A320-200 series airplanes; and A321-100 
and A321-200 series airplanes of U.S. registry. The new actions take 
about 1 work hour per airplane, at an average labor rate of $80 per 
work hour. Required parts cost about $20 per airplane. Based on these 
figures, the estimated cost of the new actions specified in this AD for 
U.S. operators is $65,800, or $100 per airplane.

[[Page 19877]]

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); 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.
    We prepared a regulatory evaluation of the estimated costs to 
comply with this AD and placed it in the AD docket. See the ADDRESSES 
section for a location to examine the regulatory evaluation.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

    Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by 
reference, Safety.

Adoption of the Amendment

0
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, 
the FAA amends 14 CFR part 39 as follows:

PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

0
1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.

Sec.  39.13  [Amended]

0
2. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) amends Sec.  39.13 by 
removing amendment 39-14474 (71 FR 6665, February 9, 2006) and by 
adding the following new airworthiness directive (AD):

2009-09-05 Airbus: Amendment 39-15891. Docket No. FAA-2007-0391; 
Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-271-AD.

Effective Date

    (a) This AD becomes effective June 4, 2009.

Affected ADs

    (b) This AD supersedes AD 2006-03-10.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to Airbus Model A318-111 and 112; A319-111, 
-112, -113, -114, -115, -131, -132, and -133; A320-111, -211, -212, 
-214, -231, -232, and -233; and A321-111, -112, -131, -211, -212, -
213, -231, and -232 airplanes; certificated in any category; all 
manufactured serial numbers; except for those airplanes on which 
Airbus Modification 36115 has been done in production or Airbus 
Mandatory Service Bulletin A320-25-1535, dated April 27, 2007, has 
been done in service.

Unsafe Condition

    (d) This AD results from a report indicating that electrical 
wire damage was found in the 103VU electrical panel due to contact 
between the hinge pin and the adjacent electrical wire harness. We 
are issuing this AD to prevent contact between the horizontal hinge 
pin and the adjacent electrical wire harness, which could result in 
damage to electrical wires, and consequent arcing and/or failure of 
associated systems.

Compliance

    (e) You are responsible for having the actions required by this 
AD performed within the compliance times specified, unless the 
actions have already been done.

Installation

    (f) Within 18 months after the effective date of this AD, 
install a hinge pin stopper on the internal door of the 103VU 
electrical panel in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions 
of Airbus Mandatory Service Bulletin A320-25-1535, dated April 27, 
2007.

Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (g)(1) The Manager, International Branch, ANM-116, Transport 
Airplane Directorate, FAA, has the authority to approve AMOCs for 
this AD, if requested in accordance with the procedures found in 14 
CFR 39.19.
    (2) To request a different method of compliance or a different 
compliance time for this AD, follow the procedures in 14 CFR 39.19. 
Before using any approved AMOC on any airplane to which the AMOC 
applies, notify your appropriate principal inspector (PI) in the FAA 
Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), or lacking a PI, your local 
FSDO.

Related Information

    (h) European Aviation Safety Agency Airworthiness Directive 
2007-0214, dated August 7, 2007, also addresses the subject of this 
AD.

Material Incorporated by Reference

    (i) You must use Airbus Mandatory Service Bulletin A320-25-1535, 
dated April 27, 2007, to do the actions required by this AD, unless 
the AD specifies otherwise.
    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference of this service information under 5 
U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Airbus, Airworthiness Office--EAS, 1 Rond Point Maurice Bellonte, 
31707 Blagnac Cedex, France; telephone +33 5 61 93 36 96; fax +33 5 
61 93 44 51; e-mail: [email protected]; Internet 
http://www.airbus.com.
    (3) You may review copies of the service information at the FAA, 
Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, 
Washington. For information on the availability of this material at 
the FAA, call 425-227-1221 or 425-227-1152.
    (4) You may also review copies of the service information that 
is incorporated by reference at the National Archives and Records 
Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this 
material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on April 15, 2009.
Ali Bahrami,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. E9-9714 Filed 4-29-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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