[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 181 (Tuesday, September 19, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 54759-54761]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-15330]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2006-24793; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-056-AD; 
Amendment 39-14764; AD 2006-19-07]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A330, A340-200, and A340-
300 Airplanes

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for 
certain Airbus Model A330, A340-200, and A340-300 airplanes. This AD 
requires replacing the attachment landing assemblies of certain blow-
down panels of the wing leading edges with new, improved landing 
assemblies. This AD results from several reports of full or partial 
loss of certain blow-down panels of the wing leading edges during 
flight. We are issuing this AD to prevent damage to the airplane and 
hazards to persons or property on the ground.

DATES: This AD becomes effective October 24, 2006.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of certain publications listed in the AD as of October 24, 
2006.

ADDRESSES: You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov or in person at the Docket Management Facility, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, 
Room PL-401, Washington, DC.
    Contact Airbus, 1 Rond Point Maurice Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac Cedex, 
France, for service information identified in this AD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Backman, Aerospace Engineer, 
International Branch, ANM-116, FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, 
1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 98057-3356; telephone (425) 
227-2797; fax (425) 227-1149.

[[Page 54760]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Examining the Docket

    You may examine the airworthiness directive (AD) docket on the 
Internet at http://dms.dot.gov or in person at the Docket Management 
Facility office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays. The Docket Management Facility office 
(telephone (800) 647-5227) is located on the plaza level of the Nassif 
Building at the street address stated in the ADDRESSES section.

Discussion

    The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 
CFR part 39 to include an AD that would apply to certain Airbus Model 
A330, A340-200, and A340-300 airplanes. That NPRM was published in the 
Federal Register on May 18, 2006 (71 FR 28819). That NPRM proposed to 
require replacing the attachment landing assemblies of certain blow-
down panels of the wing leading edges with new, improved landing 
assemblies.

Comments

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

Request To Revise Applicability To Reflect Secondary Service Bulletins

    Airbus states that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) 
airworthiness directive 2006-0048, dated February 16, 2006, is written 
to exclude airplanes modified in service in accordance with Airbus 
Service Bulletins A330-57-3084 and A330-57-3063, or A340-57-4092 and 
A340-57-4071 (these service bulletins introduced the replacements that 
were subsequently cited in the primary service bulletins--Airbus 
Service Bulletins A330-57-3091 and A340-57-4100, both dated October 25, 
2005--and mandated by EASA airworthiness directive 2006-0048). Airbus 
therefore requests that we revise the NPRM to agree with the EASA 
airworthiness directive and exclude airplanes modified in service as 
described in the secondary service bulletins.
    We partially agree. We acknowledge that airplanes which have been 
modified as described in the secondary service bulletins require no 
further work in accordance with this AD. However, we have not revised 
the applicability of the AD; rather, we have included a new paragraph 
(g) in the AD to state that replacements done in accordance with the 
secondary service bulletins are considered to be acceptable for 
compliance with the requirements of paragraph (f) of this AD. We have 
re-identified subsequent paragraphs of the AD accordingly.

Request To Revise Applicability To Reflect Primary Service Bulletins

    Airbus further requests that we revise the applicability of the 
NPRM to exclude certain other airplanes. Airbus states that EASA 
airworthiness directive 2006-0048 excludes airplanes modified in 
service as described in Airbus Service Bulletin A330-57-3091 or A340-
57-4100, both dated October 25, 2005, which are cited as the primary 
sources of service information for accomplishing the requirements of 
this AD. Airbus asserts that the AD should agree with the EASA 
airworthiness directive and exclude airplanes which have been modified 
in service as described in Airbus Service Bulletin A330-57-3091 or 
A340-57-4100.
    We disagree. We have not excluded those airplanes in the 
applicability of this AD; rather, this AD includes a requirement to 
accomplish the actions specified in the primary service bulletins. This 
requirement will ensure that the actions described in the service 
bulletins and required by this AD are accomplished on all affected 
airplanes. Operators must continue to operate the airplanes in the 
configuration required by this AD unless an alternative method of 
compliance is approved in accordance with the procedures specified in 
paragraph (h) of this AD. We have not revised the AD in this regard.

Conclusion

    We have carefully reviewed the available data, including the 
comments received, and determined that air safety and the public 
interest require adopting the AD with the changes described previously. 
We have determined that these changes will neither increase the 
economic burden on any operator nor increase the scope of the AD.

Costs of Compliance

    The following table provides the estimated costs for U.S. operators 
of Model A330 airplanes to comply with the modifications required by 
this AD. The estimated labor rate is $80 per work hour.

                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                 Number of U.S.-
        Airplane group            Work hours         Parts         Cost per        registered       Fleet cost
                                                                   airplane         airplanes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1, 2, 3, 4, 5.................              68         $25,120         $30,560  5 (group 2 only)        $152,800
6.............................              11           2,480           3,360  22..............          73,920
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    Currently, there are no Model A340-200 or A340-300 airplanes on the 
U.S. Register. However, if an affected Model A340-200 or A340-300 
airplane is imported and placed on the U.S. Register in the future, the 
estimated costs shown in the table above will apply to accomplish the 
required actions of this AD for that airplane.

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:

[[Page 54761]]

    (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 
adding the following new airworthiness directive (AD):

2006-19-07 Airbus: Amendment 39-14764. Docket No. FAA-2006-24793; 
Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-056-AD.

Effective Date

    (a) This AD becomes effective October 24, 2006.

Affected ADs

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to Airbus Model A330, A340-200, and A340-300 
airplanes, certificated in any category; all serial numbers; except 
for airplanes which have received both Airbus Modification 47249 and 
Airbus Modification 53383 in production.

Unsafe Condition

    (d) This AD results from several reports of full or partial loss 
of certain blow-down panels of the wing leading edges during flight. 
We are issuing this AD to prevent damage to the airplane and hazards 
to persons or property on the ground.

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.

Replacement

    (f) Within 56 months after the effective date of this AD, 
replace the landing assemblies of certain blow-down panels of the 
wing leading edges with new, improved landing assemblies; in 
accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions of Airbus Service 
Bulletin A330-57-3091 (for Model A330 airplanes) or Airbus Service 
Bulletin A340-57-4100 (for Model A340-200 and A340-300 airplanes), 
both dated October 25, 2005, as applicable.

Actions Previously Accomplished in Accordance With Alternative Service 
Information

    (g) Actions done in accordance with Airbus Service Bulletins 
A330-57-3084 and A330-57-3063, or A340-57-4092 and A340-57-4071, at 
the revision levels specified in Table 1 of this AD, as applicable, 
are considered to be acceptable for compliance with the requirements 
of paragraph (f) of this AD. After the effective date of this AD, 
only Airbus Service Bulletin A330-57-3091 or A340-57-4100; both 
dated October 25, 2005; as applicable, may be used.

                                    Table 1.--Alternative Service Information
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            Airbus Service Bulletin                     Revision                      Effective date
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A330-57-3063...................................  01....................  July 23, 2004.
A330-57-3063...................................  Original..............  July 12, 2001.
A330-57-3084...................................  01....................  February 17, 2006.
A330-57-3084...................................  Original..............  December 14, 2004.
A340-57-4071...................................  02....................  September 10, 2004.
A340-57-4071...................................  01....................  July 23, 2004.
A340-57-4071...................................  Original..............  July 12, 2001.
A340-57-4092...................................  01....................  February 17, 2006.
A340-57-4092...................................  Original..............  December 14, 2004.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (h)(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) Before using any AMOC approved in accordance with Sec.  
39.19 on any airplane to which the AMOC applies, notify the 
appropriate principal inspector in the FAA Flight Standards 
Certificate Holding District Office.

Related Information

    (i) The European Aviation Safety Agency airworthiness directive 
2006-0048, dated February 16, 2006, also addresses the subject of 
this AD.

Material Incorporated by Reference

    (j) You must use Airbus Service Bulletin A330-57-3091, dated 
October 25, 2005; or Airbus Service Bulletin A340-57-4100, dated 
October 25, 2005; as applicable, to perform the actions that are 
required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise. The Director 
of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of 
these documents in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 
51. Contact Airbus, 1 Rond Point Maurice Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac 
Cedex, France, for a copy of this service information. You may 
review copies at the Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Room PL-401, Nassif 
Building, Washington, DC; on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov; or 
at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For 
information on the availability of this material at the 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 September 7, 2006.
Kalene C. Yanamura,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. E6-15330 Filed 9-18-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P