Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS Airplanes

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 242 (Monday, December 19, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 77502-77505]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-27403]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2022-1576; Project Identifier MCAI-2022-01183-T; 
Amendment 39-22277; AD 2022-25-21]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for 
certain Airbus SAS Model A350-1041 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a 
report of a loud noise and vibration in the belly fairing (BF) access 
panel above the wings. This AD requires a one-time detailed inspection 
of the BF access panels and, depending on findings, accomplishment of 
applicable corrective actions, as specified in a European Union 
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference 
(IBR). The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on 
these products.

DATES: This AD becomes effective January 3, 2023.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of certain publications listed in this AD as of January 3, 
2023.
    The FAA must receive comments on this AD by February 2, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 
11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 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: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under 
Docket No. FAA-2022-1576; or in person at Docket Operations between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD 
docket contains this final rule, the mandatory continuing airworthiness 
information (MCAI), any comments received, and other information. The 
street address for Docket Operations is listed above.
    Material Incorporated by Reference:
    <bullet> For EASA material incorporated by reference in this AD, 
contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; telephone 
+49 221 8999 000; email [email protected]; website easa.europa.eu. You 
may find this material on the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu.
    <bullet> For Airbus service information identified in this final 
rule, contact Airbus SAS, Airworthiness Office--EAL, Rond-Point Emile 
Dewoitine No: 2, 31700 Blagnac Cedex, France; telephone +33 5 61 93 36 
96; fax +33 5 61 93 45 80; email airbus.com">continued-airworthiness.a350@airbus.com; websiteairbus.com.
    <bullet> You may view this service information at the FAA, 
Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 
216th St., Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this 
material at the FAA, call 206-231-3195. It is also available at 
regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2022-1576.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dat Le, Aerospace Engineer, Large 
Aircraft

[[Page 77503]]

Section, FAA, International Validation Branch, 2200 South 216th St., 
Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone 516-228-7317; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites you to send any written data, views, or arguments 
about this final rule. Send your comments to an address listed under 
ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2022-1576; Project Identifier MCAI-
2022-01183-T'' at the beginning of your comments. The most helpful 
comments reference a specific portion of the final rule, explain the 
reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. The FAA 
will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend 
this final rule because of those comments.
    Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in 
the following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR 
11.35, the FAA will post all comments received, without change, to 
regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. The 
agency will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal 
contact received about this final rule.

Confidential Business Information

    CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily 
and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public 
disclosure. If your comments responsive to this AD contain commercial 
or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that 
you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to 
this AD, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted 
comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing 
CBI as ``PROPIN.'' The FAA will treat such marked submissions as 
confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public 
docket of this AD. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Dat Le, 
Aerospace Engineer, Large Aircraft Section, FAA, International 
Validation Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; 
telephone 516-228-7317; email [email protected]. Any commentary that the 
FAA receives which is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed 
in the public docket for this rulemaking.

Background

    EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the 
European Union, has issued EASA AD 2022-0183, dated August 30, 2022 
(EASA AD 2022-0183) (also referred to as the MCAI), to correct an 
unsafe condition for certain Airbus SAS Model A350-1041 airplanes. The 
MCAI states that a loud noise and vibration in the BF area above the 
wings was reported. The subsequent inspection revealed missing 
fasteners on the upper fastener line at the sewing angle attachment of 
the BF access panel 196ET. Further investigation determined that a 
shorter fastener and inappropriate self-locking nuts may have been used 
to install affected BF access panels on the final assembly line 
resulting in not enough threads of the collar engaged to ensure the 
locking capability. This condition, if not detected and corrected, 
could lead to in-flight detachment of an affected BF access panel, 
possibly resulting in damage to, and reduced control of, the airplane. 
Airbus SAS has developed a new production modification (116929) to 
introduce different self-locking nuts for the affected BF access 
panels, increasing the design robustness. EASA AD 2022-0183 requires a 
one-time detailed inspection of the affected BF access panels and, 
depending on findings, accomplishment of applicable corrective actions.
    The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these 
products. You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at regulations.gov 
under Docket No. FAA-2022-1576.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    EASA AD 2022-0183 requires a one-time detailed inspection of the 
affected BF access panels for loose or missing fasteners, and a 
detailed inspection of the bolts attached to the sewing angle of the BF 
access panel to confirm that the chamfer length of the bolt is fully 
extended through the nut. Depending on the inspection results, EASA AD 
2022-0183 requires accomplishment of applicable corrective actions 
including installing new or missing fasteners, applying torque, 
replacing bolts, and repair.
    The FAA reviewed Airbus Service Bulletin A350-53-P073, dated June 
9, 2022, which specifies serial numbers of affected airplanes.
    This material is reasonably available because the interested 
parties have access to it through their normal course of business or by 
the means identified in the ADDRESSES section.

FAA's Determination

    This product has been approved by the aviation authority of another 
country and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to 
the FAA's bilateral agreement with this State of Design Authority, it 
has notified the FAA of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI 
described above. The FAA is issuing this AD after determining that the 
unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist or develop on 
other products of the same type design.

Requirements of This AD

    This AD requires accomplishing the actions specified in EASA AD 
2022-0183 described previously, except for any differences identified 
as exceptions in the regulatory text of this AD.

Explanation of Required Compliance Information

    In the FAA's ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency of the AD 
process, the FAA developed a process to use some civil aviation 
authority (CAA) ADs as the primary source of information for compliance 
with requirements for corresponding FAA ADs. The FAA has been 
coordinating this process with manufacturers and CAAs. As a result, 
EASA AD 2022-0183 is incorporated by reference in this AD. This AD 
requires compliance with EASA AD 2022-0183 in its entirety through that 
incorporation, except for any differences identified as exceptions in 
the regulatory text of this AD. Using common terms that are the same as 
the heading of a particular section in EASA AD 2022-0183 does not mean 
that operators need comply only with that section. For example, where 
the AD requirement refers to ``all required actions and compliance 
times,'' compliance with this AD requirement is not limited to the 
section titled ``Required Action(s) and Compliance Time(s)'' in EASA AD 
2022-0183. Service information required by EASA AD 2022-0183 for 
compliance will be available at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-
2022-1576 after this AD is published.

FAA's Justification and Determination of the Effective Date

    Section 553(b)(3)(B) of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 
U.S.C. 551 et seq.) authorizes agencies to dispense with notice and 
comment procedures for rules when the agency, for ``good cause,'' finds 
that those procedures are ``impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to 
the public interest.'' Under this section, an agency, upon finding good 
cause, may issue a final rule without providing notice and seeking 
comment prior to issuance. Further, section 553(d) of the APA 
authorizes agencies to make rules

[[Page 77504]]

effective in less than thirty days, upon a finding of good cause.
    There are currently no domestic operators of these products. 
Accordingly, notice and opportunity for prior public comment are 
unnecessary, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B). In addition, for the 
forgoing reason(s), the FAA finds that good cause exists pursuant to 5 
U.S.C. 553(d) for making this amendment effective in less than 30 days.

Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)

    The requirements of the RFA do not apply when an agency finds good 
cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 to adopt a rule without prior notice and 
comment. Because the FAA has determined that it has good cause to adopt 
this rule without notice and comment, RFA analysis is not required.

Costs of Compliance

    Currently, there are no affected U.S.-registered airplanes. If an 
affected airplane is imported and placed on the U.S. Register in the 
future, the FAA provides the following cost estimates to comply with 
this AD:

                  Estimated Costs for Required Actions
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Cost per
              Labor cost                   Parts cost        product
------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 work-hours x $85 per hour = $595....              $0             $595
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FAA estimates the following costs to do any necessary on-
condition installations, replacements, or torqueing that would be 
required based on the results of any required actions. The FAA has no 
way of determining the number of aircraft that might need these on-
condition actions:

                 Estimated Costs of On-Condition Actions
------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Labor cost                Parts cost      Cost per product
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 work-hour x $85 per hour = $85..              $3  $88 (per fastener or
                                                     bolt).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FAA has received no definitive data on which to base the cost 
estimates the on-condition repairs specified in this AD.
    According to the manufacturer, some or all of the costs of this AD 
may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on 
affected operators. The FAA does not control warranty coverage for 
affected operators. As a result, the FAA has included all known costs 
in the cost estimate.

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.
    The FAA is 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

    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, and
    (2) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska.
    (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.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

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

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 airworthiness 
directive:

2022-25-21 Airbus SAS: Amendment 39-22277; Docket No. FAA-2022-1576; 
Project Identifier MCAI-2022-01183-T.

(a) Effective Date

    This airworthiness directive (AD) is effective January 3, 2023.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Airbus SAS Model A350-1041 airplanes, 
certificated in any category, having serial numbers identified in 
Airbus Service Bulletin A350-53-P073, dated June 9, 2022.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code: 53, Fuselage.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by a report of a loud noise and vibration 
in the belly fairing (BF) access panel above the wings. The FAA is 
issuing this AD to address missing fasteners on the BF access panels 
due to the use of shorter fasteners and inappropriate self-locking 
nuts resulting in not enough threads of the collar engaged to ensure 
the locking capability. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, 
could result in an in-flight detachment of an affected BF access 
panel, possibly resulting in damage to, and reduced control of, the 
airplane.

[[Page 77505]]

(f) Compliance

    Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, 
unless already done.

(g) Requirements

    Except as specified in paragraph (h) of this AD: Comply with all 
required actions and compliance times specified in, and in 
accordance with, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 
2022-0183, dated August 30, 2022 (EASA AD 2022-0183).

(h) Exceptions to EASA AD 2022-0183

    (1) Where EASA AD 2022-0183 refers to its effective date, this 
AD requires using the effective date of this AD.
    (2) Where the service information referenced in EASA AD 2022-
0183 specifies to do certain actions ``in accordance with the IPD,'' 
for this AD replace the text ``in accordance with'' with ``refer 
to.''
    (3) Where paragraph (2) of EASA AD 2022-0183 refers to a 
``defect,'' for purposes of this AD, a defect includes a loose or 
missing fastener, and a bolt whose length does not fully extend 
through the nut.
    (4) The ``Remarks'' section of EASA AD 2022-0183 does not apply 
to this AD.

(i) No Reporting Requirement

    Although the service information referenced in EASA AD 2022-0183 
specifies to submit certain information to the manufacturer, this AD 
does not include that requirement.

(j) Additional AD Provisions

    The following provisions also apply to this AD:
    (1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, 
International Validation Branch, 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 responsible Flight Standards Office, as 
appropriate. If sending information directly to the manager of the 
certification office, send it to the attention of the person 
identified in paragraph (k) of this AD. 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 responsible Flight Standards Office.
    (2) Contacting the Manufacturer: For any requirement in this AD 
to obtain instructions from a manufacturer, the instructions must be 
accomplished using a method approved by the Manager, International 
Validation Branch, FAA; or EASA; or Airbus SAS's EASA Design 
Organization Approval (DOA). If approved by the DOA, the approval 
must include the DOA-authorized signature.
    (3) Required for Compliance (RC): Except as required by 
paragraph (j)(2) of this AD, if any service information contains 
procedures or tests that are identified as RC, those procedures and 
tests must be done to comply with this AD; any procedures or tests 
that are not identified as RC are recommended. Those procedures and 
tests that are not identified as RC may be deviated from using 
accepted methods in accordance with the operator's maintenance or 
inspection program without obtaining approval of an AMOC, provided 
the procedures and tests identified as RC can be done and the 
airplane can be put back in an airworthy condition. Any 
substitutions or changes to procedures or tests identified as RC 
require approval of an AMOC.

(k) Additional Information

    For more information about this AD, contact Dat Le, Aerospace 
Engineer, Large Aircraft Section, FAA, International Validation 
Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone 516-
228-7317; email [email protected].

(l) Material Incorporated by Reference

    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference (IBR) of the service information listed 
in this paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) You must use this service information as applicable to do 
the actions required by this AD, unless this AD specifies otherwise.
    (i) Airbus Service Bulletin A350-53-P073, dated June 9, 2022.
    (ii) European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2022-0183, 
dated August 30, 2022.
    (3) For EASA AD 2022-0183, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 
50668 Cologne, Germany; telephone +49 221 8999 000; email 
[email protected]; website easa.europa.eu. You may find this EASA 
AD on the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu.
    (4) For Airbus service information identified in this AD, 
contact Airbus SAS, Airworthiness Office--EAL, Rond-Point Emile 
Dewoitine No: 2, 31700 Blagnac Cedex, France; telephone +33 5 61 93 
36 96; fax +33 5 61 93 45 80; email airbus.com">continued-airworthiness.a350@airbus.com; website airbus.com.
    (5) You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness 
Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th St., 
Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this material 
at the FAA, call 206-231-3195.
    (6) You may view this material that is incorporated by reference 
at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For 
information on the availability of this material at NARA, email 
[email protected], or go to: www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

    Issued on December 5, 2022.
Christina Underwood,
Acting Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-27403 Filed 12-16-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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