[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 130 (Friday, July 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38683-38684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-10599]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Proposed Advisory Circular 120-XX, Damage Tolerance Inspections 
for Repairs

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability of proposed Advisory Circular (AC) 120-
XX; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: This action reopens the comment period stated in the Notice of 
Availability of proposed Advisory Circular (AC) 120-XX, ``Damage 
Tolerance Inspections for Repairs,'' that was published on April 21, 
2006. In that document, the FAA announced the availability and request 
for comments on a proposed AC, which set forth an acceptable means, but 
not the only means, of demonstrating compliance with the provisions of 
the airworthiness

[[Page 38684]]

standards for transport category airplanes related to damage tolerance 
inspections for repairs. In addition, this action announces that at a 
future date, the FAA may revise the current proposed AC 120-XX to add 
guidance for damage tolerance inspections for alterations.

DATES: Comments must be received by September 18, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Send all comments on this proposed AC to: Federal Aviation 
Administration, Attention: Greg Schneider, Airframe/Cabin Safety 
Branch, ANM-115, FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, WA 98055-4056. 
Comments may be inspected at the above address between 7:30 a.m. and 4 
p.m. weekdays, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenna Sinclair, Transport Standards 
Staff, at the address above, telephone (425) 227-1556.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    Interested persons are invited to comment on the proposed AC by 
sending such written data, views, or arguments, as they may desire. 
Commenters should identify AC 120-XX and send comments, in duplicate, 
to the address specified above. All communications received on or 
before the closing date for comments will be considered by the 
Transport Standards Staff before issuing the final AC. The proposed AC 
can be found and downloaded from the Internet at http://www.faa.gov/aircraft/draft_docs. A paper copy of the proposed AC may be obtained 
by contacting the person named above under the caption FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

Background

    On April 21, 2006, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued 
a Notice of Availability of proposed Advisory Circular (AC) 120-XX, 
``Damage Tolerance Inspections for Repairs.'' \1\ Comments to that 
document were to be received by June 20, 2006.
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    \1\ 71 FR 20750.
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    By letters dated May 26 and 30, and June 6, 9, and 12, the Air 
Transport Association of America, Inc. (ATA), Airbus, the Cargo Airline 
Association (CAA), Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and National Air 
Carrier Association, Inc. (NACA), respectively, asked the FAA to extend 
the comment period for the proposed AC. This AC supports the proposed 
rule entitled ``Damage Tolerance Data for Repairs and Alterations,'' 
which we published on April 21, 2006.\2\ Each petitioner requested a 
60-day extension, except Boeing Commercial Airplanes asked for a 90-day 
extension. Many of the petitioners said the proposed AC and its related 
proposed rule, as well as other Aging Aircraft proposals and guidance 
material, present complex issues that would take time to review 
together.
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    \2\ 71 FR 20574.
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    We appreciate the petitioners' substantive interest in the proposed 
AC and believe that granting additional time to review the document 
will allow them to thoroughly assess the impact of this AC and provide 
meaningful comments. Therefore, we will reopen the comment period until 
September 18, 2006. This date corresponds to the comment period 
extension date, approved in a separate Federal Register notice, for the 
associated proposed rule, ``Damage Tolerance Data for Repairs and 
Alterations.'' The extension of comment period notice for the proposed 
rule will be published concurrently with today's notice. We believe 
that extending the comment period for the proposed AC to September 18, 
2006 to coincide with that of the proposed rule will allow the 
petitioners enough time to do a complete review of both the AC and its 
associated proposed rule.

Reopening of Comment Period

    For the reasons provided in this notice, the FAA believes that good 
cause exists for reopening the comment period for proposed AC 120-XX 
until September 18, 2006. Absent unusual circumstances, the FAA does 
not anticipate any further extension of the comment period for that 
proposed AC.

New Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) Recommendations

    Recently the ARAC informed us that they will shortly complete the 
development of new recommendations on damage tolerance for alterations. 
The current version of proposed AC 120-XX only addresses damage 
tolerance inspections for repairs. Since the new ARAC recommendations 
may help industry comply with the portion of the ``Damage Tolerance 
Data for Repairs and Alterations'' proposal that relates to 
alterations, we intend to consider including them in a possible future 
revision of proposed AC 120-XX. If the current proposed AC is revised 
to include the new recommendations, we will make it available for 
public comment.
    Although the ARAC recommendations will not be open to public 
comment as part of today's notice, the public may view those 
recommendations on the FAA's Web site at http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/rulemaking/committees/arac/issue_areas/tae/aa/.
    We expect to receive the ARAC recommendations in July 2006.

    Issued in Washington, DC, June 29, 2006.
John M. Allen,
Acting Director, Flight Standards Service, Aviation Safety.
Dorenda D. Baker,
Acting Director, Aircraft Certification Service, Aviation Safety.
[FR Doc. E6-10599 Filed 7-6-06; 8:45 am]
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