[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 166 (Tuesday, August 31, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 48488-48490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18703]



[[Page 48488]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2021-0128; Project Identifier MCAI-2020-01406-T; 
Amendment 39-21687; AD 2021-17-04]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS 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 SAS Model A321-211, -231, and -232 airplanes. This AD 
was prompted by a report of false drill starts found around the latch 
hook mounting holes of certain door frames of the fuselage due to 
erroneous manufacturing processes. This AD requires a one-time 
inspection of the area around the latch hook mounting holes of the 
forward and aft door frames to detect damage from false drill starts, 
and repair if necessary, as specified in a European Union Aviation 
Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is 
issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: This AD is effective October 5, 2021.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of October 5, 
2021.

ADDRESSES: For material incorporated by reference (IBR) in this AD, 
contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; telephone 
+49 221 8999 000; email [email protected]; internet 
www.easa.europa.eu. You may find this IBR material on the EASA website 
at https://ad.easa.europa.eu. You may view this IBR material at the 
FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety 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 in 
the AD docket on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by 
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2021-0128.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2021-
0128; 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, 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sanjay Ralhan, Aerospace Engineer, 
Large Aircraft Section, International Validation Branch, FAA, 2200 
South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone and fax 206-231-3223; 
email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the 
European Union, has issued EASA AD 2020-0222, dated October 14, 2020 
(EASA AD 2020-0222) (also referred to as the Mandatory Continuing 
Airworthiness Information, or the MCAI), to correct an unsafe condition 
for certain Airbus SAS Model A321-211, -231, and -232 airplanes.
    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 A321-211, -231, and -232 airplanes. The NPRM published in the 
Federal Register on March 8, 2021 (86 FR 13229). The NPRM was prompted 
by a report of false drill starts found around the latch hook mounting 
holes of certain door frames of the fuselage due to erroneous 
manufacturing processes. The NPRM proposed to require a one-time 
inspection of the area around the latch hook mounting holes of the 
forward and aft door frames to detect damage from false drill starts, 
and repair if necessary, as specified in EASA AD 2020-0222.
    The FAA is issuing this AD to address damage from false drill 
starts, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the 
airplane. See the MCAI for additional background information.

Comments

    The FAA gave the public the opportunity to participate in 
developing this final rule. The following presents the comment received 
on the NPRM and the FAA's response.

Request To Add Exceptions

    Delta Air Lines (DAL) asked that the FAA add an exception to 
paragraph (h) of the proposed AD as follows: (1) Require inspections 
and corrective action, if applicable, on all airplanes having 
manufacturer serial numbers (MSN's) identified in the applicability, 
regardless of ``affected'' part numbers referenced in EASA AD 2020-
0222; or (2) Add a clarification that if ``affected parts'' are not 
found, no inspection is required where a frame replacement has occurred 
on an affected frame location, and the potential manufacturing defect 
has been removed because there would be a new part number designation 
for the spliced area and the airplane could be considered as no longer 
be affected.
    The FAA does not agree with the commenter's request. EASA AD 2020-
0222 is applicable to specific airplane MSNs, with an assertion that 
the current configuration continues to be installed with the part 
numbers that are described in EASA AD 2020-0222 as ``affected part 
numbers.'' The FAA does not have any information provided by EASA that 
there are potential configurations that have EASA-approved 
modifications that are exempt from the unsafe condition. If the MSN 
configuration DAL referred to does not include those ``affected part 
numbers,'' then there is no corresponding action for those airplanes, 
in accordance with the requirements in this AD. The FAA has not changed 
this AD in this regard.

Conclusion

    The FAA reviewed the relevant data, considered the comment 
received, and determined that air safety and the public interest 
require adopting this final rule as proposed, except for minor 
editorial changes. The FAA has determined that these minor changes:
     Are consistent with the intent that was proposed in the 
NPRM for addressing the unsafe condition; and
     Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was 
already proposed in the NPRM.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    EASA AD 2020-0222 describes procedures for a one-time detailed 
inspection of the area around the latch hook mounting holes of the 
forward and aft door frames to detect damage from false drill starts, 
and repair of any damage found. This material 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.

Costs of Compliance

    The FAA estimates that this AD affects 21 airplanes of U.S. 
registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD:

[[Page 48489]]



                                     Estimated Costs for Required Actions *
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                                                                                    Cost per       Cost on U.S.
                          Labor cost                              Parts cost        product         operators
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14 work-hours x $85 per hour = $1,190........................              $0           $1,190          $24,990
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* Table does not include estimated costs for reporting.

    The FAA estimates that it takes about 1 work-hour per product to 
comply with the reporting requirement in this AD. The average labor 
rate is $85 per hour. Based on these figures, the FAA estimates the 
cost of reporting the inspection results on U.S. operators to be 
$1,785, or $85 per product.
    The FAA estimates the following costs to do any necessary on-
condition repairs that are required based on the results of any 
required actions. The FAA has no way of determining the number of 
aircraft that might need these on-condition repairs:

                                     Estimated Costs of On-Condition Actions
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                 Labor cost                     Parts cost                     Cost per product
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Up to 42 work-hours x $85 per hour = Up to              $0 *  Up to $3,570 (per door).
 $3,570 (per door).
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* The FAA has received no definitive data on which to base the parts cost estimates for the on-condition repairs
  specified in this AD.

    According to the manufacturer, some or all of the costs of this AD 
may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on 
affected operators. The FAA does not control warranty coverage for 
affected operators. As a result, the FAA has included all known costs 
in the cost estimate.

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 AD is 2120-
0056. The paperwork cost associated with this 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 AD is mandatory. Comments concerning the accuracy of this burden 
and suggestions for reducing the burden should be directed to 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177-1524.

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.
    The FAA is 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

    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:
    (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive 
Order 12866,
    (2) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, 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.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

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

Adoption of the Amendment

    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 FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness 
directive:

2021-17-04 Airbus SAS: Amendment 39-21687; Docket No. FAA-2021-0128; 
Project Identifier MCAI-2020-01406-T.

(a) Effective Date

    This airworthiness directive (AD) is effective October 5, 2021.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Airbus SAS Model A321-211, -231, and -232 
airplanes, certificated in any category, as identified in European 
Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2020-0222, dated October 14, 
2020 (EASA AD 2020-0222).

(d) Subject

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

(e) Reason

    This AD was prompted by a report of false drill starts found 
around the latch hook mounting holes of certain door frames of the 
fuselage due to erroneous manufacturing processes. The FAA is 
issuing this AD to address damage from false drill starts, which 
could result in reduced structural integrity of the airplane.

[[Page 48490]]

(f) Compliance

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

(g) Requirements

    Except as specified in paragraph (h) of this AD: Comply with all 
required actions and compliance times specified in, and in 
accordance with, EASA AD 2020-0222.

(h) Exceptions to EASA AD 2020-0222

    (1) Paragraph (3) of EASA AD 2020-0222 specifies to report 
inspection results to Airbus within a certain compliance time. For 
this AD, report inspection results at the applicable time specified 
in paragraph (h)(1)(i) or (ii) of this AD.
    (i) If the inspection was done on or after the effective date of 
this AD: Submit the report within 90 days after the inspection.
    (ii) If the inspection was done before the effective date of 
this AD: Submit the report within 90 days after the effective date 
of this AD.
    (2) The ``Remarks'' section of EASA AD 2020-0222 does not apply 
to this AD.

(i) Other FAA AD Provisions

    The following provisions also apply to this AD:
    (1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, 
Large Aircraft Section, International Validation Branch, 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 responsible Flight 
Standards Office, as appropriate. If sending information directly to 
the Large Aircraft Section, International Validation Branch, send it 
to the attention of the person identified in paragraph (j) of this 
AD. 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 
responsible Flight Standards Office.
    (2) Contacting the Manufacturer: For any requirement in this AD 
to obtain instructions from a manufacturer, the instructions must be 
accomplished using a method approved by the Manager, Large Aircraft 
Section, International Validation Branch, FAA; or EASA; or Airbus 
SAS's EASA Design Organization Approval (DOA). If approved by the 
DOA, the approval must include the DOA-authorized signature.
    (3) Required for Compliance (RC): Except as required by 
paragraph (i)(2) of this AD, if any service information contains 
procedures or tests that are identified as RC, those procedures and 
tests must be done to comply with this AD; any procedures or tests 
that are not identified as RC are recommended. Those procedures and 
tests that are not identified as RC may be deviated from using 
accepted methods in accordance with the operator's maintenance or 
inspection program without obtaining approval of an AMOC, provided 
the procedures and tests identified as RC can be done and the 
airplane can be put back in an airworthy condition. Any 
substitutions or changes to procedures or tests identified as RC 
require approval of an AMOC.
    (4) Paperwork Reduction Act Burden Statement: 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 1 
hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, 
searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data 
needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. 
All responses to this collection of information are mandatory as 
required by this AD. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or 
any other aspect of this collection of information, including 
suggestions for reducing this burden to Information Collection 
Clearance Officer, Federal Aviation Administration, 10101 Hillwood 
Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177-1524.

(j) Related Information

    For more information about this AD, contact Sanjay Ralhan, 
Aerospace Engineer, Large Aircraft Section, International Validation 
Branch, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone 
and fax 206-231-3223; email [email protected].

(k) Material Incorporated by Reference

    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference (IBR) of the service information listed 
in this paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) You must use this service information as applicable to do 
the actions required by this AD, unless this AD specifies otherwise.
    (i) European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2020-0222, 
dated October 14, 2020.
    (ii) [Reserved]
    (3) For EASA AD 2020-0222, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 
50668 Cologne, Germany; telephone +49 221 8999 000; email 
[email protected]; internet www.easa.europa.eu. You may find this 
EASA AD on the EASA website at https://ad.easa.europa.eu.
    (4) You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness 
Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th St., 
Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this material 
at the FAA, call 206-231-3195. This material may be found in the AD 
docket on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching 
for and locating Docket No. FAA-2021-0128.
    (5) You may view this material that is incorporated by reference 
at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For 
information on the availability of this material at NARA, email 
[email protected], or go to: https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

    Issued on August 7, 2021.
Gaetano A. Sciortino,
Deputy Director for Strategic Initiatives, Compliance & Airworthiness 
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-18703 Filed 8-30-21; 8:45 am]
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