Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2008/06/26/E8-14480/airworthiness-directives-airbus-model-a330-and-a340-airplanes
Timestamp: 2018-02-20 21:37:15
Document Index: 161036252

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 39', 'art 39', 'art 39', '§\u200939', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1']

Federal Register :: Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A330 and A340 Airplanes
Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A330 and A340 Airplanes
A Proposed Rule by the Federal Aviation Administration on 06/26/2008
We must receive comments on this supplemental NPRM by July 21, 2008.
73 FR 36288
36288-36290 (3 pages)
Docket No. FAA-2007-27715
Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-140-AD
E8-14480
Explanation of Additional Changes to the First Supplemental NPRM
Restatement of Requirements of AD 2006-09-07
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E8-14480 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E8-14480
The FAA is revising an earlier supplemental NPRM (SNPRM) for an airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to all Airbus Model A330-200, A330-300, A340-200, and A340-300 series airplanes; and Model A340-541 and A340-642 airplanes. The original NPRM would have superseded an existing AD that currently requires operators to revise the Airworthiness Limitations section (ALS) of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) to incorporate new information. This information includes, for all affected airplanes, decreased life limit values for certain components; and for Model A330-200 and -300 series airplanes, new inspections, compliance times, and new repetitive intervals to detect fatigue cracking, accidental damage, or corrosion in certain structures. The original NPRM proposed to revise the ALS, for all affected airplanes, by adding new Airworthiness Limitations Items (ALIs) to incorporate service life limits for certain items and inspections to detect fatigue cracking, accidental damage or corrosion in certain structures, in accordance with the revised ALS of the ICA. The original NPRM resulted from the issuance of new and more restrictive service life limits and structural inspections based on fatigue testing and in-service findings. The first supplemental NPRM revised the original NPRM by adding airplanes, adding new requirements, and including more restrictive compliance thresholds and intervals. This new action revises the first supplemental NPRM by adding a new weight variant configuration, and including more restrictive compliance thresholds and intervals. We are proposing this second supplemental NPRM to detect and correct fatigue cracking, accidental damage, or corrosion in principal structural elements, and to prevent failure of certain life-limited parts, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the airplane.
DOT Docket Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for sending your comments electronically.
We invite you to submit any relevant written data, views, or arguments regarding this proposal. Send your comments to an address listed in the ADDRESSES section. Include the docket number “Docket No. FAA-2007-27715; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-140-AD” at the beginning of your comments. We specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory, economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this supplemental NPRM. We will Start Printed Page 36289consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend this supplemental NPRM in light of those comments.
We will post all comments submitted, without change, to http://dms.dot.gov, including any personal information you provide. We will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact with FAA personnel concerning this proposed AD. Using the search function of that Web site, anyone can find and read the comments in any of our dockets, including the name of the individual who sent the comment (or signed the comment on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review the DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78), or you may visit http://dms.dot.gov.
We proposed to amend part 39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39) with a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 to include an AD that supersedes AD 2006-09-07, amendment 39-14577 (71 FR 25919, May 3, 2006). The existing AD applies to all Airbus Model A330-200, A330-300, A340-200, and A340-300 series airplanes; and Model A340-541 and A340-642 airplanes. The first supplemental NPRM was published in the Federal Register on August 16, 2007 (72 FR 45965). The original NPRM proposed to revise the ALS, for all affected airplanes, by adding new Airworthiness Limitations Items (ALIs) to incorporate service life limits for certain items and inspections to detect fatigue cracking, accidental damage, or corrosion in certain structures, in accordance with the revised ALS of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA). The first supplemental NPRM proposed to add airplanes, add new requirements, and include more restrictive compliance thresholds and intervals.
Since we issued the first supplemental NPRM, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Community, issued EASA airworthiness directive 2008-0023, dated February 6, 2008.
The EASA advises that Airbus has revised Document AI/SE-M4/95A.0089/97, “A330 Airworthiness Limitation Items (ALI),” from Issue 14, dated October 10, 2005, to Issue 15, dated March 26, 2007, to add a new weight variant configuration and include more restrictive compliance thresholds and intervals.
Incorporating this revision into the ALS of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness is intended to ensure the continued structural integrity of these airplanes.
We have revised paragraph (i) of this AD to specify that no alternative inspections/limitation tasks or inspection/limitation task intervals may be used unless the inspections/limitation tasks or inspection/limitation task intervals are part of a later approved revision of the documents specified in paragraphs (h)(1) and (h)(2) of this AD, as applicable, or unless they are approved as an alternative method of compliance (AMOC). Inclusion of this paragraph in the AD is intended to ensure that the AD-mandated airworthiness limitations changes are treated the same as the airworthiness limitations issued with the original type certificate.
We have simplified the language in Note 1 of this AD to clarify that an operator must request approval for an AMOC if the operator cannot accomplish the required inspections because an airplane has been previously modified, altered, or repaired in the areas addressed by the required inspections.
The changes discussed above expand the scope of the first supplemental NPRM; therefore, we have determined that it is necessary to reopen the comment period to provide additional opportunity for public comment on this second supplemental NPRM.
This proposed AD would affect about 41 airplanes of U.S. registry. The following table provides the estimated costs for U.S. operators to comply with this proposed AD.
Revise the ALS, required by AD 2006-09-07 1 $80 None $80 20 $1,600
Revise the ALS, new proposed action 1 80 None 80 41 3,280
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. Start Printed Page 36290
2. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) amends § 39.13 by removing amendment 39-14577 (71 FR 25919, May 3, 2006) and adding the following new airworthiness directive (AD):
Airbus: Docket No. FAA-2007-27715; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-140-AD.
(a) The FAA must receive comments on this AD action by July 28, 2008.
(b) This AD supersedes AD 2006-09-07.
(c) This AD applies to all Airbus Model A330 and A340 airplanes, certificated in any category.
This AD requires revisions to certain operator maintenance documents to include new inspections. Compliance with these inspections is required by 14 CFR 91.403(c). For airplanes that have been previously modified, altered, or repaired in the areas addressed by these inspections, the operator may not be able to accomplish the inspections described in the revisions. In this situation, to comply with 14 CFR 91.403(c), the operator must request approval for an alternative method of compliance according to paragraph (j)(1) of this AD. The request should include a description of changes to the required inspections that will ensure the continued operational safety of the airplane.
(d) This AD results from the issuance of new and more restrictive service life limits and structural inspections based on fatigue testing and in-service findings. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking, accidental damage, or corrosion in principal structural elements, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the airplane.
(f) Within 3 months after June 7, 2006 (the effective date of AD 2006-09-07): Revise the Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS) of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness by incorporating into the ALS the documents in paragraphs (f)(1) and (f)(2) of this AD, as applicable, until paragraph (h) of this AD is accomplished.
(1) Airbus Document AI/SE-M4/95A.0089/97, “A330 Airworthiness Limitations Items,” Issue 12, dated November 1, 2003, as specified in Section 9-2 of the Airbus A330 Maintenance Planning Document (MPD).
(g) Except as provided by paragraph (h) or (j) of this AD: After the actions in paragraph (f) of this AD have been accomplished, no alternative inspections or inspection intervals may be approved for the structural elements specified in the documents listed in paragraph (f) of this AD.
(h) Within 3 months after the effective date of this AD: Revise the ALS of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to incorporate the documents specified in paragraphs (h)(1) and (h)(2) of this AD, as applicable. Accomplishing the revision in this paragraph terminates the requirements in paragraph (f) of this AD.
(1) Airbus Document AI/SE-M4/95A.0089/97, “A330 Airworthiness Limitation Items (ALI),” Issue 15, dated March 26, 2007; or Airbus Document AI/SE-M4/95A.0051/97, “A340 Airworthiness Limitations Items,” Issue 10, dated February 1, 2007.
(2) Sub-part 1-2 “Life Limits,” and Sub-part 1-3 “Demonstrated Fatigue Lives,” of Airbus A330 or A340 ALS Part 1, “Safe Life Airworthiness Limitation Items,” Revision 01, dated March 30, 2007, as applicable.
(i) After accomplishing the actions specified in paragraph (h) of this AD, no alternative inspections/limitation tasks or inspection/limitation task intervals may be used unless the inspections/limitation tasks or inspection/limitation task intervals are part of a later approved revision of the documents specified in paragraphs (h)(1) and (h)(2) of this AD, as applicable, that is approved by the Manager, International Branch, ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA; or unless the inspection/limitation task or inspection/limitation task interval is approved as an alternative method of compliance (AMOC) in accordance with the procedures specified in paragraph (j)(1) of this AD.
(k) European Aviation Safety Agency airworthiness directives 2008-0023, dated February 6, 2008, 2007-0133, dated May 11, 2007, and 2007-0158, dated June 4, 2007; also address the subject of this AD.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on June 13, 2008.
[FR Doc. E8-14480 Filed 6-25-08; 8:45 am]