Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A330-300 Series Airplanes

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 191 (Tuesday, October 4, 2005)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 57732-57734]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-19333]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2005-22539; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-08-AD; 
Amendment 39-14300; AD 2005-20-07]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A330-300 Series Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FAA adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 
Airbus Model A330-300 series airplanes. This AD requires reinforcing 
the structure of the center fuselage by installing external stiffeners 
(butt straps) at frame (FR) 53.3 on the fuselage skin between left-hand 
and right-hand stringer 13, and related investigative actions. This AD 
results from a report that, during fatigue tests of the fuselage, 
cracks initiated and grew at the circumferential joint of FR53.3. We 
are issuing this AD to prevent fatigue cracking of the fuselage, which 
could result in reduced structural integrity of the fuselage.

DATES: Effective October 19, 2005.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of a certain publication listed in the AD as of October 19, 
2005.
    We must receive comments on this AD by December 5, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Use one of the following addresses to submit comments on 
this AD.
    <bullet> DOT Docket web site: Go to http://dms.dot.gov and follow 
the instructions for sending your comments electronically.
    <bullet> Government-wide rulemaking web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for sending your 
comments electronically.
    <bullet> Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street SW., Nassif Building, room PL-401, 
Washington, DC 20590.
    <bullet> Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    <bullet> Hand Delivery: Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the 
Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. 
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    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, ANM-
116, International Branch, FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 
Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 98055-4056; telephone (425) 227-
2797; fax (425) 227-1149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    Although this is a final rule that was not preceded by notice and 
an opportunity for public comment, we invite you to submit any relevant 
written data, views, or arguments regarding this AD. Include ``Docket 
No. FAA-2005-22539; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-08-AD'' at the 
beginning of your comments. We specifically invite comments on the 
overall regulatory, economic, environmental, and energy

[[Page 57733]]

aspects of the AD. We will consider all comments received by the 
closing date and may amend the AD in light of those comments.
    We will post all comments we receive, without change, to http://dms.dot.gov, including any personal information you provide. We will 
also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact with FAA 
personnel concerning this AD. Using the search function of that web 
site, anyone can find and read the comments in any of our dockets, 
including the name of the individual who sent the comment (or signed 
the comment on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). 
You may review the DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal 
Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78), or you may visit 
http://dms.dot.gov.

Examining the Docket

    You may 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. Comments will be 
available in the AD docket shortly after the Docket Management System 
receives them.

Discussion

    The Direction G[eacute]n[eacute]rale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC), 
which is the airworthiness authority for France, notified us that an 
unsafe condition may exist on certain Airbus Model A330-300 series 
airplanes. The DGAC advises that, during fatigue tests of the fuselage, 
cracks initiated and grew at the circumferential joint of frame (FR) 
53.3. This condition, if not corrected, could result in reduced 
structural integrity of the fuselage.

Relevant Service Information

    Airbus has issued Service Bulletin A330-53-3127, including Appendix 
01, Revision 01, dated November 21, 2003. The service bulletin 
describes procedures for reinforcing the structure of the center 
fuselage by installing external doublers (butt straps) at FR53.3 on the 
fuselage skin between left- and right-hand stringer 13. The 
installation of the three butt straps includes removing fasteners and 
doing the related investigative action of rototesting the holes where 
the fasteners were removed. If a crack is found during a rototest, the 
service bulletin specifies contacting Airbus for repair instructions. 
If no crack is found, the installation includes counter-drilling the 
fastener holes in the butt straps, cold-expanding the matching holes in 
the fuselage, reaming and deburring the holes, shimming, and applying 
sealant around the butt straps. Accomplishing the actions specified in 
the service information is intended to adequately address the unsafe 
condition. The DGAC mandated the service information and issued French 
airworthiness directive F-2003-415, dated November 12, 2003, to ensure 
the continued airworthiness of these airplanes in France.

FAA's Determination and Requirements of This AD

    These airplane models are manufactured in France and are type 
certificated for operation in the United States under the provisions of 
section 21.29 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 21.29) and 
the applicable bilateral airworthiness agreement. Pursuant to this 
bilateral airworthiness agreement, the DGAC has kept the FAA informed 
of the situation described above. We have examined the DGAC's findings, 
evaluated all pertinent information, and determined that we need to 
issue an AD for products of this type design that are certificated for 
operation in the United States.
    Therefore, we are issuing this AD to prevent fatigue cracking of 
the fuselage, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the 
fuselage. This AD requires accomplishing the actions specified in the 
service information described previously.

Difference Between the Proposed AD and the French Airworthiness 
Directive

    The applicability of French airworthiness directive F-2003-415, 
dated November 12, 2003, excludes airplanes on which Airbus Service 
Bulletin A330-53-3127, Revision 01, has been accomplished in service. 
However, we have not excluded those airplanes in the applicability of 
this proposed AD; rather, this proposed AD includes a requirement to 
accomplish the actions specified in that service bulletin. This 
requirement would ensure that the actions specified in the service 
bulletin and required by this proposed AD are accomplished on all 
affected airplanes. Operators must continue to operate the airplane in 
the configuration required by this proposed AD unless an alternative 
method of compliance is approved.

Costs of Compliance

    None of the airplanes affected by this action are on the U.S. 
Register. All airplanes affected by this AD are currently operated by 
non-U.S. operators under foreign registry; therefore, they are not 
directly affected by this AD action. However, we consider this AD 
necessary to ensure that the unsafe condition is addressed if any 
affected airplane is imported and placed on the U.S. Register in the 
future.
    The following table provides the estimated costs to comply with 
this AD for any affected airplane that might be imported and placed on 
the U.S. Register in the future.

                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Average labor                        Cost per
                   Action                        Work hours     rate per hour      Parts cost        airplane
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Installation................................             172              $65           $8,920          $20,100
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FAA's Determination of the Effective Date

    No airplane affected by this AD is currently on the U.S. Register. 
Therefore, providing notice and opportunity for public comment is 
unnecessary before this AD is issued, and this AD may be made effective 
in less than 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register.

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

[[Page 57734]]

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 the 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); 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):

2005-20-07 Airbus: Amendment 39-14300. Docket No. FAA-2005-22539; 
Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-08-AD.

Effective Date

    (a) This AD becomes effective October 19, 2005.

Affected ADs

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to Model A330-301, -321, -322, -323, -341, -
342, and -343 series airplanes, certificated in any category, except 
those on which Airbus Modification 41652 has been accomplished in 
production.

Unsafe Condition

    (d) This AD results from a report that, during fatigue tests of 
the fuselage, cracks initiated and grew at the circumferential joint 
of frame (FR) 53.3. We are issuing this AD to prevent fatigue 
cracking of the fuselage, which could result in reduced structural 
integrity of the fuselage.

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.

Installation

    (f) At the later of the times in paragraphs (f)(1) and (f)(2) of 
this AD: Install the butt straps at FR53.3 on the fuselage skin 
between left- and right-hand stringer 13, and do all related 
investigative and corrective actions before further flight. Except 
as provided by paragraph (g) of this AD, do all actions in 
accordance with Airbus Service Bulletin A330-53-3127, Revision 01, 
dated November 21, 2003.
    (1) Before the accumulation of 14,700 total flight cycles or 
51,400 total flight hours, whichever occurs earlier.
    (2) Within 6 months after the effective date of this AD.

Contact the FAA/Direction G[eacute]n[eacute]rale de l'Aviation Civile 
(DGAC) for Certain Repair Instructions

    (g) If any crack is detected during the related investigative 
actions (rototest) required by paragraph (f) of this AD: Before 
further flight, repair the crack according to a method approved by 
either the Manager, International Branch, ANM-116, FAA, Transport 
Airplane Directorate; or the DGAC (or its delegated agent).

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) French airworthiness directive F-2003-415, dated November 
12, 2003, also addresses the subject of this AD.

Material Incorporated by Reference

    (j) You must use Airbus Service Bulletin A330-53-3127, Revision 
01, dated November 21, 2003, 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 
this document 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 html.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on September 20, 2005.
Ali Bahrami,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 05-19333 Filed 10-3-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-U

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