Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A330-200, A330-300, A340-200, and A340-300 Series Airplanes; and A340-541 and A340-642 Airplanes

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 3, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 25919-25921]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-4051]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2005-22973; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-67-AD; 
Amendment 39-14577; AD 2006-09-07]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A330-200, A330-300, A340-
200, and A340-300 Series Airplanes; and A340-541 and A340-642 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 all 
Airbus Model A330-200, A330-300, A340-200, and A340-300 series 
airplanes; and A340-541 and A340-642 airplanes. This AD requires 
operators to revise the Airworthiness Limitations section of the 
Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to incorporate new 
information. This information includes, for all affected airplanes, 
decreased life limit values for certain components; and for Model A330-
200 and -300 series airplanes, new inspections, compliance times, and 
new repetitive intervals to detect fatigue cracking, accidental damage, 
or corrosion in certain structures. This AD results from a revision to 
subsection 9-1 of the Airbus A330 and A340 Maintenance Planning 
Documents (MPD) for Life limits/Monitored parts, and subsection 9-2 of 
the Airbus A330 MPD for Airworthiness Limitations Items. We are issuing 
this AD to prevent fatigue cracking, damage, or corrosion, which could 
result in reduced structural integrity of these airplanes.

DATES: This AD becomes effective June 7, 2006.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of certain publications listed in the AD as of June 7, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may examine the 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., Nassif Building, 
room PL-401, Washington, DC.
    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 
International Branch, ANM-116, FAA, International Branch, Transport 
Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 98055-
4056; telephone (425) 227-2797; fax (425) 227-1149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Examining the Docket

    You may examine the airworthiness directive (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 street address stated in the ADDRESSES section.

Discussion

    The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 
CFR part 39 to include an AD that would apply to all Airbus Model A330-
200, A330-300, A340-200, and A340-300 series airplanes; and A340-541 
and A340-642 airplanes. That NPRM was published in the Federal Register 
on November 15, 2005 (70 FR 69288). That NPRM proposed to require 
operators to revise the Airworthiness Limitations section of the 
Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to incorporate new 
information.

Comments

    We provided the public the opportunity to participate in the 
development of this AD. We have considered the comment received.

[[Page 25920]]

Request To Allow Single Inspection for Compliance With Tasks of 
Multiple Origins

    Air Transportation Association (ATA), on behalf of Northwest 
Airlines, supports the intent of the NPRM, but has questions about 
implementing the AD. ATA's concern centers on the Airworthiness 
Limitations items (ALI) that require general visual inspections (GVI). 
ATA supports listing these inspections separately in an appropriate 
document so that they remain visible and will not be ``lost'' in the 
commenter's zonal inspection program. However, ATA would like the FAA 
to acknowledge that GVI tasks with multiple origins (ALI and 
maintenance review board (MRB)) that have identical accessibility only 
require a single GVI. ATA states that this single GVI constitutes full 
compliance with all applicable originating documents; separate GVIs are 
not required in order to show compliance with each originating 
document. ATA believes that accomplishing these GVIs in conjunction 
with each other will enhance safety, provided each GVI requirement is 
tracked separately. In other words, the ATA explains, an ALI 
requirement should be accomplished in conjunction with the zonal 
inspection program when appropriate so that the effectiveness of each 
inspection requirement will be maintained.
    We acknowledge ATA's request. The zonal inspection program is a 
program that is unique to the commenter's airline. A single GVI can 
satisfy both the MRB zonal inspection and the ALI inspection as long as 
the inspection is done in the same area. However, the commenter must 
work with its Principal Maintenance Inspector for approval of that 
method of compliance. We have not changed the AD in this regard.

Explanation of Change in Applicability

    We have added Airbus Model A330-302 and A330-303 airplanes to the 
applicability of the AD to more closely match the effectivity of the 
parallel French airworthiness directives. Neither of these models are 
on the U.S. Register. However, we have added them to the applicability 
to ensure that the unsafe condition is addressed if any Airbus Model 
A330-302 and A330-303 airplane is imported and placed on the U.S. 
Register in the future.

Clarification of Unsafe Condition

    We have changed the AD to further clarify the end-level effect 
unsafe condition could have on the affected airplanes.

Conclusion

    We have carefully reviewed the available data, including the 
comment received, and determined that air safety and the public 
interest require adopting the AD with the changes described previously. 
We have determined that these changes will neither increase the 
economic burden on any operator nor increase the scope of the AD.

Costs of Compliance

    The following table provides the estimated costs for U.S. operators 
to comply with this AD.

                                                                     Estimated Costs
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                                                                                                                        Number of U.S.-
                  Action                       Work hour      Average labor            Parts               Cost per        registered       Fleet cost
                                                              rate per hour                                airplane        airplanes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Revise the ALS............................               1              $65   None...................             $65               20           $1,300
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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 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):

2006-09-07 Airbus: Amendment 39-14577. Docket No. FAA-2005-22973; 
Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-67-AD.

Effective Date

    (a) This AD becomes effective June 7, 2006.

Affected ADs

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to all Airbus Model A330-201, -202, -203, -
223, and -243 airplanes; A330-301, -302, -303, -321, -322, -323, -
341, -342, and -343 airplanes; A340-211, -212, and -213 airplanes; 
A340-311, -312, and -313 airplanes; A340-541 airplanes; and A340-642 
airplanes; certificated in any category.


[[Page 25921]]


    Note 1: This AD requires revisions to certain operator 
maintenance documents to include new inspections. Compliance with 
these inspections is required by 14 CFR 91.403(c). For airplanes 
that have been previously modified, altered, or repaired in the 
areas addressed by these inspections, the operator may not be able 
to accomplish the inspections 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 according 
to paragraph (h) of this AD. The request should include a 
description of changes to the required inspections that will ensure 
the continued damage tolerance of the affected structure. The FAA 
has provided guidance for this determination in Advisory Circular 
25-1529.

Unsafe Condition

    (d) This AD results from a revision to subsection 9-1 of the 
Airbus A330 and A340 Maintenance Planning Documents (MPD) for Life 
limits/Monitored parts, and subsection 9-2 of the Airbus A330 MPD 
for Airworthiness Limitations Items. We are issuing this AD to 
prevent fatigue cracking, damage, or corrosion, which could result 
in reduced structural integrity of these airplanes.

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.

Airworthiness Limitations Revision

    (f) Within 3 months after the effective date of this AD, revise 
the Airworthiness Limitations section (ALS) of the Instructions for 
Continued Airworthiness by incorporating into the ALS the documents 
in paragraph (f)(1) and (f)(2) of this AD, as applicable.
    (1) Airbus Document AI/SE-M4/95A.0089/97, ``A330 Airworthiness 
Limitations Items,'' Issue 12, dated November 1, 2003, as specified 
in Section 9-2 of the Airbus A330 MPD.
    (2) Section 9-1, ``Life limits/Monitored parts,'' Revision 05, 
dated April 7, 2005, of the Airbus A330 and A340 MPDs.
    (g) Except as provided by paragraph (h) of this AD: After the 
actions in paragraph (f) of this AD have been accomplished, no 
alternative inspections or inspection intervals may be approved for 
the structural elements specified in the documents listed in 
paragraph (f) of this AD.

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 directives F-2004-024, dated February 
18, 2004; F-2005-069, dated April 27, 2005; and F-2005-070, dated 
April 27, 2005; also address the subject of this AD.

Material Incorporated by Reference

    (j) You must use Airbus Document AI/SE-M4/95A.0089/97, ``A330 
Airworthiness Limitations Items,'' Issue 12, dated November 1, 2003; 
Section 9-1, ``Life limits/Monitored parts,'' Revision 05, dated 
April 7, 2005, of the Airbus A330 Maintenance Planning Document; and 
Section 9-1, ``Life limits/Monitored parts,'' Revision 05, dated 
April 7, 2005, of the Airbus A340 Maintenance Planning Document; as 
applicable, to perform the actions that are required by this AD, 
unless the AD specifies otherwise. (The document and issue number of 
Airbus Document AI/SE-M4/95A.0089/97 are contained only on the 
Title, Record of Revision, Summary of Changes, List of Effective 
Pages, Table of Contents, and Section 1 pages; no other page of this 
document contains this information. The revision number of Section 
9-1 of the Airbus A330 Maintenance Planning Document and Section 9-1 
of the Airbus A340 Maintenance Planning Document is contained only 
in the Record of Revisions page; no other page of these documents 
contains this information. The issue date on the title page of 
section 9-1 of the Airbus A340 Maintenance Planning Document should 
be ``April 7, 2005.'') The Director of the Federal Register approved 
the incorporation by reference of these documents 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 April 20, 2006.
Kalene C. Yanamura,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 06-4051 Filed 5-2-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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