Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Airplanes

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 208 (Monday, October 28, 2013)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 64156-64159]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-23899]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2013-0832; Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-047-AD; 
Amendment 39-17612; AD 2013-20-06]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Airplanes

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

ACTION: Final rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all 
Airbus Model A340-211 -212, -213, -311, -312, -313, -541, and -642 
airplanes. This AD requires revising the maintenance program to 
incorporate certain maintenance requirements and airworthiness 
limitations. This AD was prompted by a determination that existing 
maintenance requirements are not adequate to address the unsafe 
condition. We are issuing this AD to address the aging effects of 
aircraft systems. Such aging effects could change the characteristics 
of systems life-limited components leading to an increased potential 
for failure, which, in isolation or in combination with one or more 
other specific failures or events, could result in failure of certain 
life limited parts, which could reduce the structural integrity or the 
controllability of the airplane.

DATES: This AD becomes effective November 12, 2013.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of a certain publication listed in the AD as of November 12, 
2013.
    We must receive comments on this AD by December 12, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by any of the following methods:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    <bullet> Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    <bullet> 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.
    <bullet> Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.

[[Page 64157]]

    For service information identified in this AD, contact Airbus SAS, 
Airworthiness Office--EAL, 1 Rond Point Maurice Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac 
Cedex, France; telephone +33 5 61 93 36 96; fax +33 5 61 93 45 80; 
email [email protected]; Internet http://www.airbus.com. You may review copies of the referenced service 
information at the FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind 
Avenue SW., Renton, WA. For information on the availability of this 
material at the FAA, call 425-227-1221.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov; or in person at the Docket Operations office 
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. The AD docket contains this AD, the MCAI, the regulatory 
evaluation, any comments received, and other information. The street 
address for the Docket Operations office (telephone (800) 647-5527) is 
in the ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available in the AD docket 
shortly after receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vladimir Ulyanov, Aerospace Engineer, 
International Branch, ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 
1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057-3356; telephone (425) 227-1138; 
fax (425) 227-1149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion

    The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical 
Agent for the Member States of the European Community, has issued EASA 
Airworthiness Directive 2012-0021, dated January 30, 2012 (referred to 
after this as the Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information, or 
``the MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition for the specified 
products. The MCAI states:

    The mandatory instructions and airworthiness limitations 
applicable to the Ageing Systems Maintenance (ASM) are specified in 
Airbus A340 [Airworthiness Limitations Section] ALS Part 4, which is 
approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
    The revision 02 of Airbus A340 ALS Part 4 introduces more 
restrictive maintenance requirements and/or airworthiness 
limitations. Failure to comply with the instructions of ALS Part 4 
could result in an unsafe condition.
    This [EASA] AD requires the implementation of the maintenance 
requirements and/or airworthiness limitations as specified in Airbus 
A340 ALS Part 4 revision 02, approved on 12 October 2011. * * *

The unsafe condition is the aging effects of aircraft systems. Such 
aging effects could change the characteristics of systems life-limited 
components leading to an increased potential for failure, which, in 
isolation or in combination with one or more other specific failures or 
events, could result in failure of certain life limited parts, which 
could reduce the structural integrity or the controllability of the 
airplane. You may obtain further information by examining the MCAI in 
the AD docket.

Relevant Service Information

    Airbus has issued A340 Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS), 
Part 4, Aging Systems Maintenance, Revision 02, dated October 12, 2011. 
The actions described in this service information are intended to 
correct the unsafe condition identified in the MCAI.

Related Rulemaking

    Certain maintenance requirements specified in A340 ALS, Part 4--
Aging Systems Maintenance, Revision 02, dated October 12, 2011, are 
already required by other ADs. Therefore, accomplishing the actions 
required by this AD will terminate the requirements of the following 
ADs for Model A340 airplanes.
    <bullet> AD 2003-14-11, Amendment 39-13230 (68 FR 41521, July 14, 
2003).
    <bullet> AD 2004-11-08, Amendment 39-13654 (69 FR 31874, June 8, 
2004).
    <bullet> AD 2004-13-25, Amendment 39-13707 (69 FR 41394, July 9, 
2004).
    <bullet> AD 2004-18-14, Amendment 39-13793 (69 FR 55326, September 
14, 2004).
    <bullet> AD 2007-05-12, Amendment 39-14973 (72 FR 10057, March 7, 
2007).
    <bullet> AD 2008-06-07, Amendment 39-15419 (73 FR 13103, March 12, 
2008; corrected April 15, 2008 (73 FR 20367)).
    <bullet> AD 2012-04-07, Amendment 39-16963 (77 FR 12989, March 5, 
2012).

FAA's Determination and Requirements of This AD

    This product has been approved by the aviation authority of another 
country, and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant 
to our bilateral agreement with the State of Design Authority, we have 
been notified of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI and service 
information referenced above. We are issuing this AD because we 
evaluated all pertinent information and determined the unsafe condition 
exists and is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same 
type design.
    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 (j)(1) of this 
AD. The request should include a description of changes to the required 
inspections that will ensure the continued operational safety of the 
airplane.
    There are no products of this type currently registered in the 
United States. However, this rule is necessary to ensure that the 
described unsafe condition is addressed if any of these products are 
placed on the U.S. Register in the future.

FAA's Determination of the Effective Date

    Since there are currently no domestic operators of this product, 
notice and opportunity for public comment before issuing this AD are 
unnecessary.

Comments Invited

    This AD is a final rule that involves requirements affecting flight 
safety, and we did not precede it by notice and opportunity for public 
comment. We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or 
arguments about this AD. Send your comments to an address listed under 
the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2013-0832; Directorate 
Identifier 2012-NM-047-AD'' at the beginning of your comments. We 
specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory, economic, 
environmental, and energy aspects of this AD. We will consider all 
comments received by the closing date and may amend this AD because of 
those comments.
    We will post all comments we receive, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. We 
will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact we 
receive about this AD.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this AD affects 0 airplanes of U.S. registry.
    We estimate the following costs to comply with this AD:

[[Page 64158]]



                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                   Cost on U.S.
              Action                      Labor cost           Parts cost      Cost per product      operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maintenance program revision.....  2 work-hours x $85 per                $0  $170 per revision..              $0
                                    hour = $170 per
                                    revision.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 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 the DOT Regulatory Policies 
and Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979);
    3. Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska; and
    4. 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.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

    Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by 
reference, Safety.

Adoption of the Amendment

    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 AD:

2013-20-06 Airbus: Amendment 39-17612. Docket No. FAA-2013-0832; 
Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-047-AD.

(a) Effective Date

    This airworthiness directive (AD) becomes effective November 12, 
2013.

(b) Affected ADs

    This AD affects the ADs specified in paragraphs (b)(1) through 
(b)(7) of this AD:
    (1) AD 2003-14-11, Amendment 39-13230 (68 FR 41521, July 14, 
2003);
    (2) AD 2004-11-08, Amendment 39-13654 (69 FR 31874, June 8, 
2004);
    (3) AD 2004-13-25, Amendment 39-13707 (69 FR 41394, July 9, 
2004);
    (4) AD 2004-18-14, Amendment 39-13793 (69 FR 55326, September 
14, 2004);
    (5) AD 2007-05-12, Amendment 39-14973 (72 FR 10057, March 7, 
2007);
    (6) AD 2008-06-07, Amendment 39-15419 (73 FR 13103, March 12, 
2008; corrected April 15, 2008 (73 FR 20367)); and
    (7) AD 2012-04-07, Amendment 39-16963 (77 FR 12989, March 5, 
2012).

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Airbus Model A340-211, -212, -213, -311, -
312, -313, -541, and -642 airplanes; certificated in any category; 
all manufacturer serial numbers.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 05, Time Limits/
Maintenance Checks.

(e) Reason

    This AD was prompted by a determination that existing 
maintenance requirements are not adequate to address the unsafe 
condition. We are issuing this AD to address the aging effects of 
aircraft systems. Such aging effects could change the 
characteristics of systems life-limited components leading to an 
increased potential for failure, which, in isolation or in 
combination with one or more other specific failures or events, 
could result in failure of certain life limited parts, which could 
reduce the structural integrity or the controllability of the 
airplane.

(f) Compliance

    You are responsible for having the actions required by this AD 
performed within the compliance times specified, unless the actions 
have already been done.

(g) Maintenance Program Revision

    Within 6 months after the effective date of this AD, revise the 
maintenance program by incorporating A340 Airworthiness Limitations 
Section (ALS), Part 4--Aging Systems Maintenance, Revision 02, dated 
October 12, 2011. Comply with all applicable instructions and 
airworthiness limitations included in A340 ALS, Part 4--Aging 
Systems Maintenance, Revision 02, dated October 12, 2011. The 
initial compliance times for the actions are within the applicable 
compliance times specified in the Record of Revisions pages of A340 
ALS, Part 4--Aging Systems Maintenance, Revision 02, dated October 
12, 2011, or within 6 months after the effective date of this AD, 
whichever is later.

(h) Alternative Actions or Intervals

    After accomplishing the revision required by paragraph (g) of 
this AD, no alternative actions (e.g., inspections) or intervals may 
be used unless the actions or intervals are approved as an 
alternative method of compliance (AMOC) in accordance with the 
procedures specified in paragraph (j)(1) of this AD.

(i) Terminating Action for Other ADs

    Accomplishing the revision of the maintenance program and 
complying with all applicable instructions and airworthiness 
limitations required by paragraph (g) of this AD terminates the 
requirements of the ADs specified in paragraphs (i)(1) through 
(i)(7) of this AD for Model A340 airplanes only.
    (1) AD 2003-14-11, Amendment 39-13230 (68 FR 41521, July 14, 
2003).
    (2) AD 2004-11-08, Amendment 39-13654 (69 FR 31874, June 8, 
2004).
    (3) AD 2004-13-25, Amendment 39-13707 (69 FR 41394, July 9, 
2004).
    (4) AD 2004-18-14, Amendment 39-13793 (69 FR 55326, September 
14, 2004).
    (5) AD 2007-05-12, Amendment 39-14973 (72 FR 10057, March 7, 
2007).
    (6) AD 2008-06-07, Amendment 39-15419 (73 FR 13103, March 12, 
2008; corrected April 15, 2008 (73 FR 20367)).
    (7) AD 2012-04-07, Amendment 39-16963 (77 FR 12989, March 5, 
2012).

(j) Other FAA AD Provisions

    The following provisions also apply to this AD:
    (1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, 
International

[[Page 64159]]

Branch, ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, 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 local Flight 
Standards District Office, as appropriate. If sending information 
directly to the International Branch, send it to ATTN: Vladimir 
Ulyanov, Aerospace Engineer, International Branch, ANM-116, 
Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, 
WA 98057-3356; telephone (425) 227-1138; fax (425) 227-1149. 
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 
local flight standards district office/certificate holding district 
office. The AMOC approval letter must specifically reference this 
AD.
    (2) Airworthy Product: For any requirement in this AD to obtain 
corrective actions from a manufacturer or other source, use these 
actions if they are FAA-approved. Corrective actions are considered 
FAA-approved if they are approved by the State of Design Authority 
(or their delegated agent). You are required to assure the product 
is airworthy before it is returned to service.

(k) Related Information

    (1) Refer to Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information 
(MCAI) European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Airworthiness 
Directive 2012-0021, dated January 30, 2012, for related 
information. You may examine the MCAI on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating it in Docket No. 
FAA-2013-0832.
    (2) Service information identified in this AD that is not 
incorporated by reference may be obtained at the addresses specified 
in paragraphs (l)(3) and (l)(4) of this AD.

(l) Material Incorporated by Reference

    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference (IBR) of the following service 
information under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) You must use the following service information to do the 
actions required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
    (i) A340 Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS), Part 4--Aging 
Systems Maintenance, Revision 02, dated October 12, 2011. The 
revision date is not identified on the title page of this document.
    (ii) Reserved.
    (3) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Airbus SAS, Airworthiness Office--EAL, 1 Rond Point Maurice 
Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac Cedex, France; telephone +33 5 61 93 36 96; 
fax +33 5 61 93 45 80; email [email protected]; 
Internet http://www.airbus.com.
    (4) You may review copies of the service information at the FAA, 
Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, 
Washington. For information on the availability of this material at 
the FAA, call 425-227-1221.
    (5) You may also review copies of the service information that 
is incorporated by reference at the National Archives and Records 
Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this 
material at an NARA facility, 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 September 17, 2013.
Ross Landes,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-23899 Filed 10-25-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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