[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 28, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 95538-95541]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-30611]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2016-9517; Directorate Identifier 2016-NM-100-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all 
Airbus Model A330-200, A330-200 Freighter, A330-300, A340-500, and 
A340-600 series airplanes; and A340-313 airplanes. This proposed AD was 
prompted by the discovery of Tartaric Sulfuric Anodizing (TSA)/Chromic 
Acid

[[Page 95539]]

Anodizing (CAA) surface treatment in certain bulk cargo door frame 
holes of certain airplanes. This proposed AD would require inspection 
of the fuselage bulk cargo door frames at specific locations, and 
corrective action if necessary. We are proposing this AD to address the 
unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by February 13, 
2017.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 
11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    For service information identified in this NPRM, contact Airbus 
SAS, Airworthiness Office--EAL, 1 Rond Point Maurice Bellonte, 31707 
Blagnac Cedex, France; telephone +33 5 61 93 36 96; fax +33 5 61 93 45 
80; email [email protected]; Internet http://www.airbus.com. You may view this referenced service information at the 
FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA. 
For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 
425-227-1221.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2016-
9517; or in person at the Docket Management Facility between 9 a.m. and 
5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD docket 
contains this proposed AD, the regulatory evaluation, any comments 
received, and other information. The street address for the Docket 
Operations office (telephone 800-647-5527) is in the ADDRESSES section. 
Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vladimir Ulyanov, Aerospace Engineer, 
International Branch, ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 
1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057-3356; telephone 425-227-1138; 
fax 425-227-1149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or 
arguments about this proposed AD. Send your comments to an address 
listed under the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2016-9517; 
Directorate Identifier 2016-NM-100-AD'' at the beginning of your 
comments. We specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory, 
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this proposed AD. We 
will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend 
this proposed AD based on those comments.
    We will post all comments we receive, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. We 
will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact we 
receive about this proposed AD.

Discussion

    The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical 
Agent for the Member States of the European Union, has issued EASA 
Airworthiness Directive 2016-0102, dated June 1, 2016; corrected June 
7, 2016 (referred to after this as the Mandatory Continuing 
Airworthiness Information, or ``the MCAI''); to correct an unsafe 
condition for all Airbus Model A330-200, A330-200 Freighter, A330-300, 
A340-500, and A340-600 series airplanes; and A340-313 airplanes. The 
MCAI states:

    In the frame of the certification of the A330 Extended Service 
Goal exercise, it has been identified that Tartaric Sulfuric 
Anodising (TSA)/Chromic Acid Anodising (CAA) surface treatment is 
present in some frame holes, from aeroplane MSN 0400 and later MSN, 
following production process modification. On bulk cargo door frames 
(FR) 67 and FR 69 Right Hand Side, the door fitting attachment holes 
have this TSA/CAA treatment, which leads to a detrimental effect on 
fatigue behaviour. This condition, if not detected and corrected, 
could lead to critical cracks in the primary structure, possibly 
resulting in in-flight loss of a bulk cargo door, consequent 
decompression and potential damage to the aeroplane that could 
reduce the control of the aeroplane.
    To address this potential unsafe condition, Airbus issued Alert 
Operators Transmission (AOT) A53L012-16 to provide instructions to 
inspect the fuselage bulk cargo door frames at specific locations.
    For the reasons described above, this [EASA] AD requires 
repetitive non-destructive test (rototest and high-frequency eddy-
current (HFEC)) inspection or visual detailed (DET) inspections [to 
detect cracking] of the affected areas, and, depending on findings, 
accomplishment of a repair.
    This [EASA] AD is considered an interim measure, and further 
[EASA] AD action may follow.

    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-2016-
9517.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    We reviewed Airbus Alert Operators Transmission (AOT), AOT A53L012-
16, Revision 00, including Appendices 1 through 6, dated May 30, 2016:
     Appendix 1. Technical disposition TD_K48_S3_01755_2016, 
Issue B, dated May 12, 2016.
     Appendix 2. Technical disposition TD_K48_S3_01754_2016, 
Issue B, dated May 12, 2016.
     Appendix 3. Technical disposition TD_K48_S3_01772_2016, 
Issue A, dated May 12, 2016.
     Appendix 4. Technical disposition TD_K48_S3_01773_2016, 
Issue A, dated May 12, 2016.
     Appendix 5. AOT A53L012-16, Revision 00, undated, titled 
Appendix 4: AOT reporting sheet 1; and AOT A53L012-16, Revision 00, 
undated, titled Appendix 4: AOT reporting sheet 2. (Appendix 5 of this 
document is incorrectly identified as ``Appendix 4.'').
     Appendix 6. Non-destructive Testing Manual Procedure 53-
40-18, ``Bulk Cargo Compartment Door Cut-Out Lateral Frames at Bulk 
Door-Fittings FR67 at STGR 37 and at STGR 42 and FR 69 at STRG 38 and 
at STGR 45,'' advanced copy approved for use, dated May 18, 2016.
    The service information describes procedures for inspections of the 
fuselage bulk cargo frames at the door support and latch fittings 
location; repair instructions; and reporting instructions. This service 
information is reasonably available because the interested parties have 
access to it through their normal course of business or by the means 
identified in the ADDRESSES section.

FAA's Determination and Requirements of This Proposed AD

    This product has been approved by the aviation authority of another 
country, and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant 
to our bilateral agreement with the State of Design Authority, we have 
been notified of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI and service 
information referenced above. We are proposing this AD because we 
evaluated all pertinent information and determined an unsafe condition 
exists and is likely to exist or develop on other products of these 
same type designs.

[[Page 95540]]

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this proposed AD affects 96 airplanes of U.S. 
registry.
    We estimate the following costs to comply with this proposed AD:

                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                 Cost on U.S.
              Action                    Labor cost        Parts cost      Cost per product        operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inspection.......................  2 work-hours x $85               $0  $170 per inspection  $16,320 per
                                    per hour = $170                      cycle.               inspection cycle.
                                    per inspection
                                    cycle.
Reporting........................  1 work-hour x $85                 0  $85................  $8,160.
                                    per hour = $85.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We estimate the following costs to do any necessary replacements 
that would be required based on the results of the proposed inspection. 
We have no way of determining the number of airplanes that might need 
this replacement:

                                               On-Condition Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                     Cost per
                    Action                                Labor cost               Parts cost        product
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Optional door frame replacement..............  200 work-hours x $85 per hour =         $68,000          $85,000
                                                $17,000.
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Paperwork Reduction Act

    A federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not 
required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to penalty for 
failure to comply with a collection of information subject to the 
requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection of 
information displays a current valid OMB control number. The control 
number for the collection of information required by this proposed AD 
is 2120-0056. The paperwork cost associated with this proposed AD has 
been detailed in the Costs of Compliance section of this document and 
includes time for reviewing instructions, as well as completing and 
reviewing the collection of information. Therefore, all reporting 
associated with this proposed AD is mandatory. Comments concerning the 
accuracy of this burden and suggestions for reducing the burden should 
be directed to the FAA at 800 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 
20591, ATTN: Information Collection Clearance Officer, AES-200.

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 determined that this proposed AD would not have federalism 
implications under Executive Order 13132. This proposed AD would 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 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);
    3. Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska; and
    4. 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.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

    Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by 
reference, Safety.

The Proposed Amendment

    Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the FAA proposes to amend 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 FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness 
directive (AD):

Airbus: Docket No. FAA-2016-9517; Directorate Identifier 2016-NM-
100-AD.

(a) Comments Due Date

    We must receive comments by February 13, 2017.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to the following Airbus airplanes, certificated 
in any category, manufacturer serial numbers (MSNs) 0400 and higher.
    (1) Airbus Model A330-201, -202, -203, -223, and -243 airplanes.
    (2) Airbus Model A330-223F and -243F airplanes.
    (3) Airbus Model A330-301, -302, -303, -321, -322, -323, -341, -
342, and -343 airplanes.
    (4) Airbus Model A340-313 airplanes.
    (5) Airbus Model A340-541 airplanes.
    (6) Airbus Model A340-642 airplanes.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 53, Fuselage.

(e) Reason

    This AD was prompted by the discovery of Tartaric Sulfuric 
Anodizing (TSA)/Chromic Acid Anodizing (CAA) surface treatment in 
certain bulk cargo door frame holes of airplanes with MSNs 0400 and 
higher. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracks 
in the bulk cargo door frames,

[[Page 95541]]

caused by TSA/CAA surface treatment in certain bulk cargo door frame 
holes. Cracks in the bulk cargo door frames can cause the in-flight 
loss of a bulk cargo door, damage to the airplane and subsequent 
reduced control of the airplane.

(f) Compliance

    Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, 
unless already done.

(g) Initial Inspection

    At the applicable compliance time specified in table 1 to 
paragraph (g) of this AD, do the actions specified in paragraph 
(g)(1) or (g)(2) of this AD, in accordance with the instructions of 
Airbus Alert Operators Transmission (AOT), AOT A53L012-16, Revision 
00, dated May 30, 2016.
    (1) Accomplish a rototest inspection to detect cracking of the 
holes for the bulk cargo door support fittings at fuselage frame 
(FR) 67 and FR 69, and a high-frequency eddy-current (HFEC) 
inspection of the holes for the door latch fitting at FR 69.
    (2) Accomplish a detailed visual inspection to detect cracking 
in the bulk cargo door support fittings at FR 67 and FR 69 and the 
holes for the door latch fitting at FR 69.

         Table 1 to Paragraph (g) of This AD--Initial Inspection
------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Total flight cycles accumulated since
  airplane first flight, on the effective          Compliance time
              date of this AD
------------------------------------------------------------------------
12,500 total flight cycles or more........  Within 200 flight cycles or
                                             2 months, whichever occurs
                                             first, after the effective
                                             date of this AD.
Fewer than 12,500 total flight cycles.....  Within 200 flight cycles or
                                             2 months, whichever occurs
                                             first, after exceeding
                                             12,500 flight cycles.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

(h) Repetitive Inspections

    At intervals not to exceed the values specified in table 2 to 
paragraph (h) of this AD, as applicable, depending on the previously 
selected inspection method, repeat the inspection(s) specified in 
either paragraph (g)(1) or (g)(2) of this AD.

       Table 2 to Paragraph (h) of This AD--Repetitive Inspections
------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Inspection method                   Inspection interval
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Detailed visual inspection................  150 flight cycles.
Rototest and HFEC inspections.............  2,900 flight cycles.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

(i) Repair

    If, during any inspection required by paragraph (g) or (h) of 
this AD, any crack is detected, before further flight, repair using 
a method approved by the Manager, International Branch, ANM-116, 
Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA; or the European Aviation Safety 
Agency (EASA); or Airbus's EASA Design Organization Approval (DOA).

(j) Terminating Action

    Accomplishment of a repair on an airplane, as required by 
paragraph (i) of this AD, does not constitute terminating action for 
the inspections required by this AD for that airplane, unless 
otherwise specified in repair instructions approved by the Manager, 
International Branch, ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA; 
or EASA; or Airbus's EASA DOA.

(k) Reporting

    After the initial inspection specified in paragraph (g) of this 
AD, and after each repetitive inspection specified in paragraph (h) 
of this AD, at the applicable times specified in paragraph (k)(1) 
and (k)(2) of this AD: Report inspection findings, both positive and 
negative, to Airbus in accordance with the instructions of Airbus 
AOT A53L012-16, Revision 00, dated May 30, 2016.
    (1) If the inspection was done on or after the effective date of 
this AD: Submit the report within 30 days after the inspection.
    (2) If the inspection was done before the effective date of this 
AD: Submit the report within 30 days after the effective date of 
this AD.

(l) Other FAA AD Provisions

    The following provisions also apply to this AD:
    (1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, 
International Branch, ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 
has the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using 
the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. In accordance with 14 CFR 
39.19, send your request to your principal inspector or local Flight 
Standards District Office, as appropriate. If sending information 
directly to the International Branch, send it to ATTN: Vladimir 
Ulyanov, Aerospace Engineer, International Branch, ANM-116, 
Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, 
WA 98057-3356; telephone 425-227-1138; fax 425-227-1149. Information 
may be emailed to: [email protected]. Before using any 
approved AMOC, notify your appropriate principal inspector, or 
lacking a principal inspector, the manager of the local flight 
standards district office/certificate holding district office. The 
AMOC approval letter must specifically reference this AD.
    (2) Contacting the Manufacturer: For any requirement in this AD 
to obtain corrective actions from a manufacturer, the action must be 
accomplished using a method approved by the Manager, International 
Branch, ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA; or EASA; or 
Airbus's EASA DOA. If approved by the DOA, the approval must include 
the DOA-authorized signature.
    (3) Reporting Requirements: A federal agency may not conduct or 
sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, nor shall a 
person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with a 
collection of information subject to the requirements of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection of information 
displays a current valid OMB Control Number. The OMB Control Number 
for this information collection is 2120-0056. Public reporting for 
this collection of information is estimated to be approximately 5 
minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, 
completing and reviewing the collection of information. All 
responses to this collection of information are mandatory. Comments 
concerning the accuracy of this burden and suggestions for reducing 
the burden should be directed to the FAA at: 800 Independence Ave. 
SW., Washington, DC 20591, Attn: Information Collection Clearance 
Officer, AES-200.

(m) Related Information

    (1) Refer to Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information 
(MCAI) EASA AD 2016-0102, dated June 1, 2016; corrected June 7, 
2016, for related information. You may examine the MCAI on the 
Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating 
Docket No. FAA-2016-9517.
    (2) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Airbus SAS, Airworthiness Office--EAL, 1 Rond Point Maurice 
Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac Cedex, France; telephone +33 5 61 93 36 96; 
fax +33 5 61 93 45 80; email [email protected]; 
Internet http://www.airbus.com. You may view this service 
information at the FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind 
Avenue SW., Renton, WA. For information on the availability of this 
material at the FAA, call 425-227-1221.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on December 2, 2016.
Michael Kaszycki,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-30611 Filed 12-27-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P