Airworthiness Directives; Goodrich Evacuation Systems Approved Under Technical Standard Order (TSO) TSO-C69b and Installed on Airbus Model A330-200 and -300 Series Airplanes, Model A340-200 and -300 Series Airplanes, and Model A340-541 and -642 Airplanes

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 112 (Monday, June 12, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 33606-33607]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-5208]



[[Page 33606]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2006-23890; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-229-AD; 
Amendment 39-14633; AD 2006-12-08]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Goodrich Evacuation Systems Approved 
Under Technical Standard Order (TSO) TSO-C69b and Installed on Airbus 
Model A330-200 and -300 Series Airplanes, Model A340-200 and -300 
Series Airplanes, and Model A340-541 and -642 Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Final rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for 
Goodrich evacuation systems approved under TSO-C69b and installed on 
certain Airbus Model A330-200 and -300 series airplanes, Model A340-200 
and -300 series airplanes, and Model A340-541 and -642 airplanes. This 
AD requires inspecting to determine the part number of the pressure 
relief valves on the affected Goodrich evacuation systems, and 
corrective action if necessary. This AD results from a report 
indicating that, during maintenance testing, the pressure relief valves 
on the affected Goodrich evacuation systems did not seal when 
activated, which caused the pressure in the escape slide/raft to drop 
below the minimum allowable raft mode pressure. We are issuing this AD 
to prevent loss of pressure in the escape slides/rafts after an 
emergency evacuation, which could result in inadequate buoyancy to 
support the raft's passenger capacity during ditching, and increase the 
chance for injury to raft passengers.

DATES: This AD becomes effective July 17, 2006.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of a certain publication listed in the AD as of July 17, 
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 Goodrich, Aircraft Interior Products, ATTN: Technical 
Publications, 3414 South Fifth Street, Phoenix, AZ 85040, for service 
information identified in this AD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tracy Ton, Aerospace Engineer, Cabin 
Safety/Mechanical and Environmental Systems Branch, ANM-150L, FAA, Los 
Angeles Aircraft Certification Office, 3960 Paramount Boulevard, 
Lakewood, California 90712-4137; telephone (562) 627-5352; fax (562) 
627-5210.

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 Goodrich evacuation 
systems approved under TSO-C69b and installed on certain Airbus Model 
A330-200 and -300 series airplanes, Model A340-200 and -300 series 
airplanes, and Model A340-541 and -642 airplanes. That NPRM was 
published in the Federal Register on February 15, 2006 (71 FR 7876). 
That NPRM proposed to require inspecting to determine the part number 
of the pressure relief valves on the affected Goodrich evacuation 
systems, and corrective action if necessary.

Comments

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

Request To Revise Goodrich Service Bulletin

    Northwest Airlines (NWA) asks that, prior to AD release, the 
referenced Goodrich service bulletin be revised and issued. NWA states 
that the subject Goodrich evacuation systems are defined in the service 
bulletin. NWA adds that Table 3 of the service bulletin identifies part 
numbers (P/Ns) 7A1509-115 and -117 as affected parts, and Table 5 of 
the service bulletin identifies P/N 7A1509-121 and subsequent as parts 
that are not affected. NWA notified Goodrich that P/N 7A1509-119 is not 
included in either table, yet it is a valid part. Goodrich responded to 
NWA stating that P/N 7A1509-119 is not affected by the AD, and it 
agreed that the P/N was omitted from the tables in the service bulletin 
in error. Goodrich also stated that it intends to revise the referenced 
service bulletin to include in Table 5 that P/N 7A1509-119 and 
subsequent are not affected by the AD.
    We acknowledge the request that, prior to the release of this AD, 
the referenced Goodrich service bulletin be revised and issued. We 
infer that NWA is asking that after Goodrich revises the referenced 
service bulletin we add that bulletin to this AD. We will consider this 
after the revision is issued. Since P/N 7A1509-119 is not listed as an 
affected part, there is no harm done due to its omission. To delay this 
AD would be inappropriate, since we have determined that an unsafe 
condition exists and that action must be taken to ensure continued 
safety. Once the service bulletin is reviewed and available, we may 
consider additional rulemaking. For clarification, we have removed the 
reference to P/Ns identified in the referenced Goodrich service 
bulletin from the applicability section of the AD.

Operators as Beta Testers/Parts Cost

    Lufthansa Technik (LT) states that beta testing of parts for the 
original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is often unsuccessful and should 
not be done. LT adds that these OEM practices have an influence on the 
entire industry, and the results are not always favorable. LT concludes 
that, in general, the cost of unsuccessful parts replacement should be 
paid by the OEM, not operators; therefore, all necessary parts should 
be free of charge.
    We acknowledge the information provided by LT and offer some 
clarification. The beta testing process is only used when the OEM and 
the operator agree to install a new, experimental part designed to 
collect in-service data. The pressure relief valves identified in this 
AD are not beta-tested parts; they were produced and tested to meet an 
approved design. In addition, we have no control over whether or not an 
OEM charges for replacement parts. No change to the AD is necessary in 
this regard.

Conclusion

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

Costs of Compliance

    This AD affects about 27 airplanes of U.S. registry. The actions 
will take about

[[Page 33607]]

1 work hour per airplane, at an average labor rate of $65 per work 
hour. Based on these figures, the estimated cost of the AD for U.S. 
operators is $1,755, or $65 per airplane.

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):

2006-12-08 Airbus: Amendment 39-14633. Docket No. FAA-2006-23890; 
Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-229-AD.

Effective Date

    (a) This AD becomes effective July 17, 2006.

Affected ADs

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to Goodrich Evacuation Systems Approved 
Under Technical Standard Order (TSO) TSO-C69b, as installed on 
Airbus Model A330-201, -202, -203, -223, -243, -301, -321, -322, -
323, -341, -342, and -343 airplanes; Model A340-211, -212, -213, -
311, -312, and -313 airplanes; and Model A340-541 and -642 
airplanes; certificated in any category.

Unsafe Condition

    (d) This AD results from a report indicating that, during 
maintenance testing, the pressure relief valves of certain Goodrich 
evacuation systems did not seal when activated, which allowed the 
pressure in the slide/raft to drop below the minimum allowable raft 
mode pressure. We are issuing this AD to prevent loss of pressure in 
the escape slides/rafts after an emergency evacuation, which could 
result in inadequate buoyancy to support the raft's passenger 
capacity during ditching, and increase the chance for injury to raft 
passengers.

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.

Inspection

    (f) Within 36 months after the effective date of this AD: 
Perform an inspection to determine the part number (P/N) of the 
pressure relief valve on the Goodrich evacuation systems in 
accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions of Goodrich Service 
Bulletin 25-355, dated July 25, 2005.
    (1) If any pressure relief valve having P/N 4A3791-3 is 
installed, before further flight, replace the valve with a new or 
serviceable valve having P/N 4A3641-1 and mark the girt adjacent to 
the placard, in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions of 
the service bulletin.
    (2) If any pressure release valve having P/N 4A3641-1 is 
installed, before further flight, mark the girt adjacent to the 
placard in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions of the 
service bulletin.

Part Installation

    (g) As of the effective date of this AD, no person may install a 
pressure relief valve having P/N 4A3791-3, on any airplane equipped 
with Goodrich evacuation systems identified in Goodrich Service 
Bulletin 25-355, dated July 25, 2005.

Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (h)(1) The Manager, Los Angeles Aircraft Certification Office 
(ACO), 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) None.

Material Incorporated by Reference

    (j) You must use Goodrich Service Bulletin 25-355, dated July 
25, 2005, 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 Goodrich, 
Aircraft Interior Products, ATTN: Technical Publications, 3414 South 
Fifth Street, Phoenix, AZ 85040, 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.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on May 31, 2006.
Jeffrey E. Duven,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 06-5208 Filed 6-9-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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