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

16813

Vol. 60, No. 63

Monday, April 3, 1995

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 95–NM–34–AD]

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model

A300–B2 and –B4 Series Airplanes

Equipped With General Electric CF6–

50 Series Engines or Pratt & Whitney

JT9D–59A Engines

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking

(NPRM).

SUMMARY: This document proposes the

adoption of a new airworthiness

directive (AD) that is applicable to

certain Airbus Model A300–B2 and –B4

series airplanes. This proposal would

require an inspection to detect

discrepancies of a certain thrust reverser

control lever spring, an operational test

to verify the integrity of the flight

inhibition circuit of the thrust reverser

system, and either correction of

discrepancies or deactivation of the

associated thrust reverser. This proposal

is prompted by a report indicating that,

due to broken and deformed thrust

reverser control lever springs, an

uncommanded movement of the thrust

reverser lever to the unlock position and

a ‘‘reverser unlock’’ amber warning

occurred on one airplane. The actions

specified by the proposed AD are

intended to detect such broken or

deformed control lever springs before

they can lead to uncommanded

deployment of a thrust reverser

subsequent reduced controllability of

the airplane.

DATES: Comments must be received by

April 28, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in

triplicate to the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), Transport

Airplane Directorate, ANM–103,

Attention: Rules Docket No. 95–NM–

34–AD, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW.,

Renton, Washington 98055–4056.

Comments may be inspected at this

location between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, except Federal

holidays.

The service information referenced in

the proposed rule may be obtained from

Airbus Industrie, 1 Rond Point Maurice

Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac Cedex, France.

This information may be examined at

the FAA, Transport Airplane

Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW.,

Renton, Washington.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Stephen Slotte, Aerospace Engineer,

Standardization Branch, ANM–113,

FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate,

1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton,

Washington 98055–4056; telephone

(206) 227–2797; fax (206) 227–1320.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

Interested persons are invited to

participate in the making of the

proposed rule by submitting such

written data, views, or arguments as

they may desire. Communications shall

identify the Rules Docket number and

be submitted in triplicate to the address

specified above. All communications

received on or before the closing date

for comments, specified above, will be

considered before taking action on the

proposed rule. The proposals contained

in this notice may be changed in light

of the comments received.

Comments are specifically invited on

the overall regulatory, economic,

environmental, and energy aspects of

the proposed rule. All comments

submitted will be available, both before

and after the closing date for comments,

in the Rules Docket for examination by

interested persons. A report

summarizing each FAA-public contact

concerned with the substance of this

proposal will be filed in the Rules

Docket.

Commenters wishing the FAA to

acknowledge receipt of their comments

submitted in response to this notice

must submit a self-addressed, stamped

postcard on which the following

statement is made: ‘‘Comments to

Docket Number 95–NM–34–AD.’’ The

postcard will be date stamped and

returned to the commenter.

Availability of NPRMs

Any person may obtain a copy of this

NPRM by submitting a request to the

FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate,

ANM–103, Attention: Rules Docket No.

95–NM–34–AD, 1601 Lind Avenue,

SW., Renton, Washington 98055–4056.

Discussion

The Direction Ge ́ne ́rale de l’Aviation

Civile (DGAC), which is the

airworthiness authority for France,

recently notified the FAA that an unsafe

condition may exist on certain Airbus

Model A300–B2 and –B4 series

airplanes equipped with General

Electric CF6–50 series engines or Pratt

& Whitney JT9D–59A engines. The

DGAC advises that it has received a

report indicating that, during a

simulated engine failure, an

uncommanded movement of the thrust

reverser lever to the unlock position and

a ‘‘reverser unlock’’ amber warning

occurred. Investigation revealed that

these failures were caused by broken

and deformed (not in original shape)

thrust reverser lever springs. This

condition, if not corrected, could result

in uncommanded deployment of a

thrust reverser and subsequent reduced

controllability of the airplane.

Airbus has issued All Operators Telex

(AOT) 78–03, Revision 1, dated July 20,

1994, which describes procedures for:

1. Performing a mechanical integrity

inspection to detect discrepancies of the

thrust reverser control lever spring

having part number (P/N)

A2791294520000;

2. Performing an operational test to

verify the integrity of the flight

inhibition circuit of the thrust reverser

system;

3. Replacing the thrust reverser

control lever spring with a new spring

or deactivating the associated thrust

reverser, if the control lever spring is

found broken or out of tolerance; and

4. Determining the origin of the

malfunction, if the flight inhibition

circuit of the thrust reverser system fails

the operational test; and correcting

discrepancies or deactivating the

associated thrust reverser.

The DGAC classified this All

Operators Telex as mandatory and

issued French airworthiness directive

94–205–166(B), dated September 14,

1994, in order to assure the continued

airworthiness of these airplanes in

France.

This airplane model is manufactured

in France and is type certificated for

operation in the United States under the

provisions of § 21.29 of the Federal

Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 21.29)
16814 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 63 / Monday, April 3, 1995 / Proposed Rules

and the applicable bilateral

airworthiness agreement. Pursuant to

this bilateral airworthiness agreement,

the DGAC has kept the FAA informed

of the situation described above. The

FAA has examined the findings of the

DGAC, reviewed all available

information, and determined that AD

action is necessary for products of this

type design that are certificated for

operation in the United States.

Since an unsafe condition has been

identified that is likely to exist or

develop on other airplanes of the same

type design registered in the United

States, the proposed AD would require

a mechanical integrity inspection to

detect discrepancies of the thrust

reverser control lever spring having part

number (P/N) A2791294520000, and an

operational test to verify the integrity of

the flight inhibition circuit of the thrust

reverser system. It also requires the

correction of discrepancies or

deactivation of the associated thrust

reverser. The actions are required to be

accomplished in accordance with the

All Operators Telex described

previously.

The FAA estimates that 21 airplanes

of U.S. registry would be affected by this

proposed AD, that it would take

approximately 6 work hours per

airplane to accomplish the proposed

actions, and that the average labor rate

is $60 per work hour. Required parts

would cost approximately $55 per

airplane. Based on these figures, the

total cost impact of the proposed AD on

U.S. operators is estimated to be $8,715,

or $415 per airplane.

The total cost impact figure discussed

above is based on assumptions that no

operator has yet accomplished any of

the proposed requirements of this AD

action, and that no operator would

accomplish those actions in the future if

this AD were not adopted.

The regulations proposed herein

would not have substantial direct effects

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. Therefore,

in accordance with Executive Order

12612, it is determined that this

proposal would not have sufficient

federalism implications to warrant the

preparation of a Federalism Assessment.

For the reasons discussed above, I

certify that this proposed regulation (1)

Is not a ‘‘significant regulatory action’’

under Executive Order 12866; (2) is not

a ‘‘significant rule’’ under the DOT

Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44

FR 11034, February 26, 1979); and (3) if

promulgated, 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. A copy of the draft

regulatory evaluation prepared for this

action is contained in the Rules Docket.

A copy of it may be obtained by

contacting the Rules Docket at the

location provided under the caption

ADDRESSES.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation

safety, Safety.

The Proposed Amendment

Accordingly, pursuant to the

authority delegated to me by the

Administrator, the Federal Aviation

Administration proposes to amend part

39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations

(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. App. 1354(a), 1421

and 1423; 49 U.S.C. 106(g); and 14 CFR

11.89.

§ 39.13 [Amended]

2. Section 39.13 is amended by

adding the following new airworthiness

directive:

Airbus Industrie: Amendment 39– .

Docket 95–NM–34–AD.

Applicability: Model A300–B2 and –B4

series airplanes, equipped with General

Electric CF6–50 series engines or Pratt &

Whitney JT9D–59A engines; certificated in

any category.

Note 1: This AD applies to each airplane

identified in the preceding applicability

provision, regardless of whether it has been

modified, altered, or repaired in the area

subject to the requirements of this AD. For

airplanes that have been modified, altered, or

repaired so that the performance of the

requirements of this AD is affected, the

owner/operator must use the authority

provided in paragraph (b) to request approval

from the FAA. This approval may address

either no action, if the current configuration

eliminates the unsafe condition; or different

actions necessary to address the unsafe

condition described in this AD. Such a

request should include an assessment of the

effect of the changed configuration on the

unsafe condition addressed by this AD. In no

case does the presence of any modification,

alteration, or repair remove any airplane from

the applicability of this AD.

Compliance: Required as indicated, unless

accomplished previously.

To ensure the detection of broken or

deformed thrust reverser control lever

springs that could lead to uncommanded

deployment of a thrust reverser and

subsequent reduced controllability of the

airplane, accomplish the following:

(a) Within 500 flight hours after the

effective date of this AD, perform a

mechanical integrity inspection to detect

discrepancies of the thrust reverser control

lever spring having part number (P/N)

A2791294520000, and an operational test to

verify the integrity of the flight inhibition

circuit of the thrust reverser system, in

accordance with Airbus All Operators Telex

AOT 78–03, Revision 1, dated July 20, 1994.

(1) If no discrepancies are detected, no

further action is required by this AD.

(2) If the control lever spring is found

broken or out of tolerance, prior to further

flight, replace it with a new control lever

spring or deactivate the associated thrust

reverser in accordance with the AOT.

(3) If the flight inhibition circuit of the

thrust reverser system fails the operational

test, prior to further flight, determine the

origin of the malfunction, in accordance with

the AOT.

(i) If the origin of the malfunction is

identified, prior to further flight, repair the

flight inhibition circuit in accordance with

the AOT.

(ii) If the origin of the malfunction is not

identified, prior to further flight, replace the

relay having P/N 125GB or 124GB, and repeat

the operational test, in accordance with the

AOT. If the malfunction is still present, prior

to further flight, inspect and repair the wiring

in accordance with the AOT. If the

malfunction is still present following the

inspection and repair, prior to further flight,

deactivate the associated thrust reverser in

accordance with the AOT.

(b) An alternative method of compliance or

adjustment of the compliance time that

provides an acceptable level of safety may be

used if approved by the Manager,

Standardization Branch, FAA, Transport

Airplane Directorate, ANM–113. Operators

shall submit their requests through an

appropriate FAA Principal Maintenance

Inspector, who may add comments and then

send it to the Manager, Standardization

Branch, ANM–113.

Note 2: Information concerning the

existence of approved alternative methods of

compliance with this AD, if any, may be

obtained from the Standardization Branch,

ANM–113.

(c) Special flight permits may be issued in

accordance with §§ 21.197 and 21.199 of the

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 21.197

and 21.199) to operate the airplane to a

location where the requirements of this AD

can be accomplished.

Issued in Renton, Washington, on March

27, 1995.

Darrell M. Pederson,

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 95–8078 Filed 3–31–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–U