[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 72 (Friday, April 14, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 22923-22925]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07829]
[[Page 22923]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2023-0927; Project Identifier MCAI-2023-00013-T]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS Airplanes
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD)
for all Airbus SAS Model A350-941 and -1041 airplanes. This proposed AD
was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive
airworthiness limitations are necessary. This proposed AD would require
revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable,
to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations, as
specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which
is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). The FAA is proposing
this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
DATES: The FAA must receive comments on this proposed AD by May 30,
2023.
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 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.
AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under
Docket No. FAA-2023-0927; 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 NPRM, the mandatory continuing airworthiness
information (MCAI), any comments received, and other information. The
street address for Docket Operations is listed above.
Material Incorporated by Reference
For material that is proposed for IBR in this NPRM,
contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; telephone
+49 221 8999 000; email [email protected]; website easa.europa.eu. You
may find this material on the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu. It is
also available at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2023-0927.
You may view this service information at the FAA,
Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South
216th Street, Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of
this material at the FAA, call 206-231-3195.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dat Le, Aerospace Engineer, Large
Aircraft Section, FAA, International Validation Branch, 2200 South
216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone 516-228-7317; email
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or
arguments about this proposal. Send your comments to an address listed
under ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2023-0927; Project Identifier
MCAI-2023-00013-T'' at the beginning of your comments. The most helpful
comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, explain the
reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. The FAA
will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend
this proposal because of those comments.
Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in
the following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR
11.35, the FAA will post all comments received, without change, to
regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. The
agency will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal
contact received about this NPRM.
Confidential Business Information
CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily
and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public
disclosure. If your comments responsive to this NPRM contain commercial
or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that
you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to
this NPRM, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted
comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing
CBI as ``PROPIN.'' The FAA will treat such marked submissions as
confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public
docket of this NPRM. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Dat
Le, Aerospace Engineer, Large Aircraft Section, FAA, International
Validation Branch, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198;
telephone 516-228-7317; email [email protected]. Any commentary that the
FAA receives which is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed
in the public docket for this rulemaking.
Background
EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the
European Union, has issued EASA AD 2023-0004, dated January 6, 2023
(EASA AD 2023-0004) (also referred to as the MCAI), to correct an
unsafe condition for all Airbus SAS Model A350-941 and A350-1041
airplanes. Airplanes with an original airworthiness certificate or
original export certificate of airworthiness issued after November 1,
2022 must comply with the airworthiness limitations specified as part
of the approved type design and referenced on the type certificate data
sheet; this AD therefore does not include those airplanes in the
applicability. The MCAI states that new or more restrictive
airworthiness limitations are necessary.
EASA AD 2023-0004 specifies that it requires tasks (limitations)
already in Airbus A350 Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS), Part 2,
Revision 08, dated May 2, 2022, that is required by EASA AD 2022-0125,
dated June 28, 2022 (which corresponds to FAA AD 2023-04-05, Amendment
39-22352 (88 FR 13668, March 6, 2023) (AD 2023-04-05)), and that
incorporation of EASA AD 2023-0004 invalidates (terminates) prior
instructions for those tasks. This proposed AD would therefore
terminate the limitations for the tasks identified in the service
information referenced in EASA AD 2023-0004 only, as required by
paragraph (j) of AD 2023-04-05.
The FAA is proposing this AD to address reduced structural
integrity of the airplane. See the MCAI for additional background
information. You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at
regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2023-0927.
Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51
EASA AD 2023-0004 describes new or more restrictive airworthiness
limitations for airplane structures and safe life limits. This material
is reasonably available because the interested parties have access to
it
[[Page 22924]]
through their normal course of business or by the means identified in
ADDRESSES section.
FAA's Determination
This product has been approved by the aviation authority of another
country and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to
the FAA's bilateral agreement with this State of Design Authority, it
has notified the FAA of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI
described above. The FAA is issuing this NPRM after determining that
the unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist or develop
in other products of the same type design.
Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM
This proposed AD would require revising the existing maintenance or
inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more
restrictive airworthiness limitations, which are specified in EASA AD
2023-0004 described previously, as incorporated by reference. Any
differences with EASA AD 2023-0004 are identified as exceptions in the
regulatory text of this proposed AD.
This proposed AD would require revisions to certain operator
maintenance documents to include new actions (e.g., inspections).
Compliance with these actions and intervals is required by 14 CFR
91.403(c). For airplanes that have been previously modified, altered,
or repaired in the areas addressed by this proposed AD, the operator
may not be able to accomplish the actions described in the revisions.
In this situation, to comply with 14 CFR 91.403(c), the operator must
request approval for an alternative method of compliance (AMOC)
according to paragraph (k)(1) of this proposed AD.
Explanation of Required Compliance Information
In the FAA's ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency of the AD
process, the FAA developed a process to use some civil aviation
authority (CAA) ADs as the primary source of information for compliance
with requirements for corresponding FAA ADs. The FAA has been
coordinating this process with manufacturers and CAAs. As a result, the
FAA proposes to incorporate EASA AD 2023-0004 by reference in the FAA
final rule. This proposed AD would, therefore, require compliance with
EASA AD 2023-0004 through that incorporation, except for any
differences identified as exceptions in the regulatory text of this
proposed AD. Using common terms that are the same as the heading of a
particular section in EASA AD 2023-0004 does not mean that operators
need comply only with that section. For example, where the AD
requirement refers to ``all required actions and compliance times,''
compliance with this AD requirement is not limited to the section
titled ``Required Action(s) and Compliance Time(s)'' in EASA AD 2023-
0004. Service information required by EASA AD 2023-0004 for compliance
will be available at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2023-0927
after the FAA final rule is published.
Airworthiness Limitation ADs Using the New Process
The FAA's process of incorporating by reference MCAI ADs as the
primary source of information for compliance with corresponding FAA ADs
has been limited to certain MCAI ADs (primarily those with service
bulletins as the primary source of information for accomplishing the
actions required by the FAA AD). However, the FAA is now expanding the
process to include MCAI ADs that require a change to airworthiness
limitation documents, such as airworthiness limitation sections.
For these ADs that incorporate by reference an MCAI AD that changes
airworthiness limitations, the FAA requirements are unchanged.
Operators must revise the existing maintenance or inspection program,
as applicable, to incorporate the information specified in the new
airworthiness limitation document. The airworthiness limitations must
be followed according to 14 CFR 91.403(c) and 91.409(e).
The previous format of the airworthiness limitation ADs included a
paragraph that specified that no alternative actions (e.g.,
inspections) or intervals may be used unless the actions and intervals
are approved as an AMOC in accordance with the procedures specified in
the AMOC paragraph under ``Additional AD Provisions.'' This new format
includes a ``New Provisions for Alternative Actions'' paragraph that
does not specifically refer to AMOCs, but operators may still request
an AMOC to use an alternative action, or interval.
Costs of Compliance
The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would
affect 31 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following
costs to comply with this proposed AD.
The FAA has determined that revising the existing maintenance or
inspection program takes an average of 90 work-hours per operator,
although the agency recognizes that this number may vary from operator
to operator. Since operators incorporate maintenance or inspection
program changes for their affected fleet(s), the FAA has determined
that a per-operator estimate is more accurate than a per-airplane
estimate. Therefore, the agency estimates the average total cost per
operator to be $7,650 (90 work-hours x $85 per work-hour).
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
The FAA 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) Would not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and
(3) Would 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,
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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:
Airbus SAS: Docket No. FAA-2023-0927; Project Identifier MCAI-2023-
00013-T.
(a) Comments Due Date
The FAA must receive comments on this airworthiness directive
(AD) by May 30, 2023.
(b) Affected ADs
This AD affects AD 2023-04-05, Amendment 39-22352 (88 FR 13668,
March 6, 2023) (AD 2023-04-05).
(c) Applicability
This AD applies to Airbus SAS Model A350-941 and -1041
airplanes, certificated in any category, with an original
airworthiness certificate or original export certificate of
airworthiness issued on or before November 1, 2022.
(d) Subject
Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code: 05, Time
Limits/Maintenance Checks.
(e) Unsafe Condition
This AD was prompted by a determination that new or more
restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. The FAA is
issuing this AD to address reduced structural integrity of the
airplane.
(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, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD
2023-0004, dated January 6, 2023 (EASA AD 2023-0004).
(h) Exceptions to EASA AD 2023-0004
(1) This AD does not adopt the requirements specified in
paragraphs (1) and (2) of EASA AD 2023-0004.
(2) Paragraph (3) of EASA AD 2023-0004 specifies revising ``the
approved AMP'' within 12 months after its effective date, but this
AD requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program,
as applicable, within 90 days after the effective date of this AD.
(3) The initial compliance time for doing the tasks specified in
paragraph (3) of EASA 2023-0004 is on or before the applicable
``associated thresholds'' as incorporated by the requirements of
paragraph (3) of EASA AD 2023-0004, or within 90 days after the
effective date of this AD, whichever occurs later.
(4) This AD does not adopt the provisions specified in
paragraphs (4) of EASA AD 2023-0004.
(5) This AD does not adopt the ``Remarks'' section of EASA AD
2023-0004.
(i) Provisions for Alternative Actions and Intervals
After the existing maintenance or inspection program has been
revised as required by paragraph (g) of this AD, no alternative
actions (e.g., inspections) and intervals are allowed unless they
are approved as specified in the provisions of the ``Ref.
Publications'' section of EASA AD 2023-0017.
(j) Terminating Action for AD 2023-04-05
Accomplishing the actions required by this AD terminates the
corresponding requirements of AD 2023-04-05, for the tasks
identified in the service information referenced in EASA AD 2023-
0004 only.
(k) Additional AD Provisions
The following provisions also apply to this AD:
(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager,
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 International
Validation Branch, send it to the attention of the person identified
in paragraph (l) 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, 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.
(l) Additional Information
For more information about this AD, contact Dat Le, Aerospace
Engineer, Large Aircraft Section, FAA, International Validation
Branch, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone
516-228-7317; email [email protected].
(m) 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 2023-0004,
dated January 6, 2023.
(ii) [Reserved]
(3) For EASA AD 2023-0004, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3,
50668 Cologne, Germany; telephone +49 221 8999 000; email:
[email protected]; website: easa.europa.eu. You may find this EASA
AD on the EASA website: ad.easa.europa.eu.
(4) You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness
Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th
Street, Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this
material at the FAA, call 206-231-3195.
(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: www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.
Issued on April 8, 2023.
Christina Underwood,
Acting Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-07829 Filed 4-13-23; 8:45 am]
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