Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 Series Airplanes Equipped With Air Cruisers/Aerazur Forward and Aft Passenger Door Emergency Escape Slides

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 4 (Thursday, January 6, 2005)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 1176-1178]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-107]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2004-19494; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-135-AD; 
Amendment 39-13919; AD 2004-26-07]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 
Series Airplanes Equipped With Air Cruisers/Aerazur Forward and Aft 
Passenger Door Emergency Escape Slides

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for 
certain Airbus Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes 
equipped with certain forward and aft passenger door emergency escape 
slides. This AD requires modifying the forward and aft door slides. 
This AD is prompted by manufacturer testing that has shown contact 
between the inflation hose and fabric roll, within a short period of 
time after inflation of the emergency escape slides, can rupture the 
inflation hose at its end fittings. We are issuing this AD to prevent 
interference between the inflation hose and slide fabric and rupture of 
the inflation hose, which could result in incomplete inflation of the 
emergency escape slides and consequent unavailability of those slides 
during an emergency evacuation.

DATES: This AD becomes effective February 10, 2005.
    The incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in 
the AD is approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of 
February 10, 2005.

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Airbus, 1 Rond Point Maurice Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac Cedex, France. You 
can examine this information at the National Archives and Records 
Administration

[[Page 1177]]

(NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, 
call (202) 741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.
    You can examine the contents of this 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., room PL-401, 
on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, Washington, DC. This docket 
number is FAA-2004-19494; the directorate identifier for this docket is 
2004-NM-135-AD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Dulin, Aerospace Engineer, 
International Branch, ANM-116, FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, 
1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 98055-4056; telephone (425) 
227-2141; fax (425) 227-1149.

Examining the Docket

    The AD docket contains the proposed AD, comments, and any final 
disposition. You can examine the 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 DOT 
street address stated in the ADDRESSES section.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA proposed to amend 14 CFR Part 39 
with an AD for certain Airbus Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 series 
airplanes equipped with certain forward and aft passenger door 
emergency escape slides. That action, published in the Federal Register 
on November 3, 2004 (69 FR 63960), proposed to require modifying the 
forward and aft door slides.

Comments

    We provided the public the opportunity to participate in the 
development of this AD. No comments have been submitted on the proposed 
AD or on the determination of the cost to the public.

Conclusion

    We have carefully reviewed the available data and determined that 
air safety and the public interest require adopting the AD as proposed.

Costs of Compliance

    The following table provides the estimated costs for U.S. operators 
to comply with this AD, at an average labor rate of $65 per work hour.

                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                       Number  of
                               Work hours    Slides per                   Cost per        U.S.
           Action               per slide     airplane        Parts       airplane     registered    Fleet cost
                                                                                        airplanes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Modification................            1             2          Free          $130           648       $84,240
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

2004-26-07 Airbus: Amendment 39-13919. Docket No. FAA-2004-19494; 
Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-135-AD.

Effective Date

    (a) This AD becomes effective February 10, 2005.

Affected ADs

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to Airbus Model A318-111 and -112 series 
airplanes; Model A319-111, -112, -113, -114, -115, -131, -132, and -
133 series airplanes; Model A320-111, -211, -212, -214, -231, -232, 
and -233 series airplanes; and Model A321-111, -112, -131, -211, and 
-231 series airplanes; certificated in any category; equipped with 
Air Cruisers/Aerazur forward passenger door emergency escape slides, 
part number (P/N) D31516-111, -113, -115, -117, -311, or -313, and 
aft passenger door emergency escape slides, P/N D31517-111, -113, -
115, -117, -311, or -313; except those airplanes on which Airbus 
Modification 33429 has been accomplished in production.

Unsafe Condition

    (d) This AD was prompted by manufacturer testing that has shown 
contact between the inflation hose and fabric roll, within a short 
period of time after inflation of the emergency escape slides, can 
rupture

[[Page 1178]]

the inflation hose at its end fittings. We are issuing this AD to 
prevent interference between the inflation hose and slide fabric and 
rupture of the inflation hose, which could result in incomplete 
inflation of the emergency escape slides and consequent 
unavailability of those slides during an emergency evacuation.

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.

Modification

    (f) Within 37 months after the effective date of this AD, modify 
the forward and aft door slides, in accordance with the 
Accomplishment Instructions of Airbus Service Bulletin A320-25-1338, 
dated February 9, 2004.

    Note 1: Airbus Service Bulletin A320-25-1338, dated February 9, 
2004, refers to Air Cruisers/Aerazur Service Bulletin A320 004-25-
72, dated October 28, 2003, as an additional source of service 
information for modifying the forward and aft door slides.

Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (g) 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.

Related Information

    (h) French airworthiness directive F-2004-072, dated May 26, 
2004, also addresses the subject of this AD.

Material Incorporated by Reference

    (i) You must use Airbus Service Bulletin A320-25-1338, dated 
February 9, 2004, to perform the actions that are required by this 
AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise. The Director of the Federal 
Register approves the incorporation by reference of these documents 
in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. For copies of 
the service information, contact Airbus, 1 Rond Point Maurice 
Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac Cedex, France. For information on the 
availability of this material at the National Archives and Records 
Administration (NARA), call (202) 741-6030, or go to http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. You may view the AD docket at the Docket 
Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh 
Street SW., room PL-401, Nassif Building, Washington, DC.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on December 20, 2004.
Kevin M. Mullin,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 05-107 Filed 1-5-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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