Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/07/25/2019-15821/airworthiness-directives-airbus-sas-airplanes
Timestamp: 2019-08-24 05:45:21
Document Index: 303875817

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 39', 'art 5', 'art 5', 'art 5', 'art 5', 'art 5', 'art 5']

This AD is effective August 29, 2019.
84 FR 35812
Product Identifier 2018-NM-152-AD
Amendment 39-19682
AD 2019-14-04
2019-15821
Request To Supersede Related AD
(h) No Alternative Actions, Intervals, or Critical Design Configuration Control Limitations (CDCCLs)
(i) Terminating Action for AD 2018-17-21
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2019-15821 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2019-15821
Start Preamble Start Printed Page 35812
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of August 29, 2019.
For service information identified in this final rule, contact Airbus SAS, Airworthiness Office—EIAS, Rond-Point Emile Dewoitine No: 2, 31700 Blagnac Cedex, France; telephone +33 5 61 93 36 96; fax +33 5 61 93 44 51; email account.airworth-eas@airbus.com; internet http://www.airbus.com. You may view this service information at the FAA, Transport Standards 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 on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2019-0116.
You may examine the AD docket on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2019-0116; 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, the regulatory evaluation, 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.
The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 by adding an AD that would apply to certain Airbus SAS Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes. The NPRM published in the Federal Register on March 5, 2019 (84 FR 7835). The NPRM was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. The NPRM proposed to require revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive fuel airworthiness limitations.
The FAA is issuing this AD to address the potential of ignition sources inside fuel tanks, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could result in a fuel tank explosion and consequent loss of the airplane.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, has issued EASA AD 2018-0231, dated October 25, 2018 (“AD 2018-0231”) (referred to after this as the Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information, or “the MCAI”), to correct an unsafe condition for certain Airbus SAS Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes. The MCAI states:
The Airworthiness Limitations for the Airbus A320 family aeroplanes, which are approved by EASA, are currently defined and published in the A318/A319/A320/A321 ALS document(s). The Fuel Airworthiness Limitations (FAL) are published in ALS Part 5.
Previously, EASA issued AD 2017-0169 [which corresponds to FAA AD 2018-17-21, Amendment 39-19375 (83 FR 44209, August 30, 2018) (“AD 2018-17-21”)] to require accomplishment of all maintenance tasks and replacement of life limited parts as described in ALS Part 5 at Revision 04.
Since that [EASA] AD was issued, Airbus published the ALS, including new and/or more restrictive requirements, and new A320 family models were certified and added to the Applicability.
For the reason described above, this [EASA] AD retains the requirements of EASA AD 2017-0169, which is superseded, expands the Applicability and requires accomplishment of the actions specified in the ALS.
You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2019-0116.
Matthew Flanders, Cristian Silva, and Ben Troike, stated their support for the NPRM. United Airlines (UAL) stated that it fully agrees with the proposed requirements.
UAL requested that we supersede AD 2018-17-21. UAL stated that EASA AD 2018-0231 provides equivalent requirements as the proposed AD. In addition, UAL commented that the requirements in the proposed AD terminates all the requirements in AD 2018-17-21; therefore, the proposed AD should supersede AD 2018-17-21.
The FAA disagrees with issuing this final rule as a supersedure AD. As stated in the NPRM, the FAA determined that a stand-alone AD is more appropriate to address the actions in the MCAI because it is more streamlined for the FAA to release stand-alone ADs, compared to the supersedure ADs. The FAA considered the entire fleet size that would be affected by superseding AD 2018-17-21 and the consequent workload associated with revising maintenance record entries. In light of this, the FAA determined that a less burdensome approach is to issue a separate AD. Further, revising this AD as requested would necessitate (under the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act) reissuing the notice, reopening the period for public comment, considering additional comments subsequently received, and eventually issuing a final rule. Therefore, in consideration of the unsafe condition, the FAA has determined that further delay of this AD is not appropriate. The FAA has not changed this AD in this regard.
The FAA has determined that Airbus SAS Model A320-252N airplanes were inadvertently omitted from the Applicability of the proposed AD. Start Printed Page 35813Therefore, the FAA has updated paragraph (c)(3) of this AD to add those airplanes. Since there are currently no domestic operators of this product, additional notice and opportunity for public comment before issuing this AD are unnecessary.
In the “Costs of Compliance” paragraph, we have updated the figure to 1,497 airplanes to reflect the current number of airplanes on the U.S. registry.
Airbus SAS has issued A318/A319/A320/A321 Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS), Part 5, Fuel Airworthiness Limitations (FAL), Revision 05, dated June 13, 2018. This service information describes fuel airworthiness limitations items and critical design configuration control limitations (CDCCLs).
The FAA estimates that this AD affects 1,497 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD.
2019-14-04 Airbus SAS: Amendment 39-19682; Docket No. FAA-2019-0116; Product Identifier 2018-NM-152-AD.
This AD affects AD 2018-17-21, Amendment 39-19375 (83 FR 44209, August 30, 2018) (“AD 2018-17-21”).
This AD applies to the Airbus SAS airplanes identified in paragraphs (c)(1) through (c)(4) of this AD, certificated in any category, with an original airworthiness certificate or original export certificate of airworthiness issued on or before June 13, 2018.
(3) Model A320-211, -212, -214, -216, -231, -232, -233, -251N, -252N, and -271N airplanes.
This AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the potential of ignition sources inside fuel tanks, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could result in a fuel tank explosion and consequent loss of the airplane.
Within 90 days after the effective date of this AD, revise the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate the information specified in Airbus A318/A319/A320/A321 Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS), Part 5, Fuel Airworthiness Limitations (FAL), Start Printed Page 35814Revision 05, dated June 13, 2018. The initial compliance time for doing the tasks is at the time specified in Airbus A318/A319/A320/A321 Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS), Part 5, Fuel Airworthiness Limitations (FAL), Revision 05, dated June 13, 2018, or within 90 days after the effective date of this AD, whichever occurs later.
After the maintenance or inspection program has been revised as required by paragraph (g) of this AD, no alternative actions (e.g., inspections), intervals, or CDCCLs may be used unless the actions, intervals, and CDCCLs are approved as an alternative method of compliance (AMOC) in accordance with the procedures specified in paragraph (j)(1) of this AD.
Accomplishing the actions required by this AD terminates all requirements of AD 2018-17-21.
(ii) AMOCs approved previously for AD 2018-17-21 are approved as AMOCs for the corresponding provisions of this AD.
(1) Refer to Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information (MCAI) EASA AD 2018-0231, dated October 25, 2018, for related information. This MCAI may be found in the AD docket on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2019-0116.
(i) Airbus A318/A319/A320/A321 Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS), Part 5, Fuel Airworthiness Limitations (FAL), Revision 05, dated June 13, 2018.
[FR Doc. 2019-15821 Filed 7-24-19; 8:45 am]