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AGENCY:
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION:
Final rule.
SUMMARY:
The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2018-01-07, AD 2018-19-33, AD 2019-21-01, AD 2021-26-20, AD 2022-13-09, AD 2022-14-06, AD 2023-09-05, and AD 2023-26-06, which applied to all Airbus SAS Model A300 B4-600, B4-600R, and F4-600R series airplanes, and Model A300 C4-605R Variant F airplanes (collectively called Model A300-600 series airplanes); and AD 2020-23-11, which applied to all Airbus SAS Model A300 and A300-600 series airplanes. AD 2018-01-07, AD 2018-19-33, AD 2019-21-01, AD 2021-26-20, AD 2022-13-09, AD 2022-14-06, AD 2023-09-05, and AD 2023-26-06 required revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations. AD 2020-23-11 required repetitive inspections for discrepancies of certain areas in and around the fuselage and repair if necessary. This AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This AD continues to require certain actions specified in the superseded ADs, and requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations; as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. This AD also removes the Model A300 series airplanes from the applicability. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
DATES:
This AD is effective October 21, 2024.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of October 21, 2024.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain other publication listed in this AD as of March 7, 2024 (89 FR 6411, February 1, 2024).
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain other publication listed in this AD as of July 11, 2023 (88 FR 36926, June 6, 2023).
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain other publication listed in this AD as of August 19, 2022 (87 FR 42318, July 15, 2022).
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain other publication listed in this AD as of August 9, 2022 (87 FR 39743, July 5, 2022).
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain other publication listed in this AD as of May 3, 2022 (87 FR 17939, March 29, 2022).
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain other publication listed in this AD as of January 4, 2021 (85 FR 75838, November 27, 2020).
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain other publication listed in this AD as of November 29, 2019 (84 FR 56935, October 24, 2019).
ADDRESSES:
AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2024-0992; 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 address for Docket Operations is U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
Material Incorporated by Reference:
- For EASA material identified in this AD, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; telephone +49 221 8999 000; emailADs@easa.europa.eu; website easa.europa.eu. You may find this material on the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu.
- For Airbus SAS material identified in this AD, contact Airbus SAS, Airworthiness Office—EAW, Rond-Point Emile Dewoitine No: 2, 31700 Blagnac Cedex, France; telephone +33 5 61 93 36 96; fax +33 5 61 93 44 51; emailaccount.airworth-eas@airbus.com; website airbus.com.
- 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. It is also available atregulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2024-0992.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dan Rodina, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; phone: 206-231-3225; email: dan.rodina@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 to supersede AD 2019-21-01, Amendment 39-19767 (84 FR 56935, October 24, 2019) (AD 2019-21-01). AD 2019-21-01 applied to all Airbus SAS Model A300-600 series airplanes. AD 2019-21-01 required revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations. The FAA issued 2019-21-01 to address fatigue cracking, damage, and corrosion in principal structural elements. The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in reduced structural integrity of the airplane.
The NPRM published in the Federal Register on April 5, 2024 (89 FR 23951). The NPRM was prompted by AD 2024-0009, dated January 9, 2024 (EASA AD 2024-0009) (also referred to as the MCAI), issued by EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union. The MCAI states that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations have been developed.
In the NPRM, the FAA proposed to continue to require certain actions specified in AD 2019-21-01, and to require revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations; as specified in EASA AD 2024-0009. 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-2024-0992.
Discussion of Final Airworthiness Directive
Comments
The FAA received comments from the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), who supported the NPRM without change.
The FAA received an additional comment from FedEx. The following presents the comment received on the NPRM and the FAA's response to the comment.
Request To Terminate Additional ADs
FedEx requested that the FAA revise the proposed AD to allow accomplishment of the requirements to also terminate the requirements of AD 2020-23-11, Amendment 39-21327 (85 FR 75838, November 27, 2020) (AD 2020-23-11); AD 2021-26-20, Amendment 39-21879 (87 FR 17939, March 29, 2022) (AD 2021-26-20); AD 2022-13-09, Amendment 39-22095 (87 FR 39743, July 5, 2022) (AD 2022-13-09); AD 2022-14-06, Amendment 39-22111 (87 FR 42318, July 15, 2022) (AD 2022-14-06); AD 2023-09-05, Amendment 39-22428 (88 FR 36926, June 6, 2023) (AD 2023-09-05); and AD 2023-26-06, Amendment 39-22649 (89 FR 6411, February 1, 2024) (AD 2023-26-06).
Fedex stated that AD 2020-23-11, AD 2021-26-20, AD 2022-13-09, AD 2022-14-06, AD 2023-09-05, and AD 2023-26-06 require the incorporation of airworthiness limitations section (ALS) Part 2 Variations, which have all been incorporated into Airbus A300-600 ALS, Part 2, Revision 04, dated July 20, 2023, according to the “Revision Status” section of Revision 04. FedEx also stated that EASA AD 2024-0009 supersedes all the EASA ADs related to these additional FAA ADs.
The FAA agrees that the additional ADs require the incorporation of ALS Part 2 Variations, which have all been incorporated into ALS Part 2 Revision 04, dated July 20, 2023, and therefore, those ADs are terminated once Revision 04 has been incorporated into the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable. Therefore, the FAA is superseding AD 2019-21-01, AD 2020-23-11, AD 2021-26-20, AD 2022-13-09, AD 2022-14-06, AD 2023-09-05, and AD 2023-26-06, which correspond to the EASA ADs superseded by EASA AD 2024-0009. The FAA has determined superseding all affected ADs is a less burdensome approach than adding terminating action paragraphs to this AD for each of the additional ADs.
Additional Changes Made to This AD
Although the preamble of the NPRM stated that AD 2019-21-01 specified that accomplishing the revision required by that AD terminates all requirements of AD 2018-01-07, Amendment 39-19148 (83 FR 2042, January 16, 2018) (AD 2018-01-07) and AD 2018-19-33, Amendment 39-19434 (83 FR 48932, September 28, 2018) (AD 2018-19-33), and that the proposed AD would therefore continue to allow that terminating action, the proposed AD did not include terminating action for those ADs. This AD has been revised to supersede AD 2018-01-07 and AD 2018-19-33 and does not restate the requirements of those ADs; the actions required by those ADs have already been terminated by the requirements of AD 2019-21-01.
AD 2020-23-11 corresponds to EASA AD 2020-0110R1, dated May 27, 2020 (EASA AD 2020-0110R1) (for Model A300 series airplanes) and EASA AD 2020-0111R2, dated June 16, 2020 (for Model A300-600 series airplanes). EASA AD 2020-0110R1 has since been superseded by EASA AD 2024-0008, dated January 9, 2024 (EASA AD 2024-0008). There currently are no Model A300 series airplanes on the U.S. register. Therefore, the FAA has added EASA AD 2024-0008 to the required airworthiness actions list (RAAL) for the Model A300 series airplanes. Therefore, the FAA has not included the Model A300 series airplanes in this AD.
Paragraph (l) of the proposed AD specified that accomplishing the actions required by this AD terminates all requirements of AD 2019-21-01. However, AD 2019-21-01 is superseded by this AD and the actions are retained in paragraph (g) of this AD, which is terminated by the actions required by paragraph (dd) of this AD. Therefore, the FAA has not restated paragraph (l) of the proposed AD in this AD.
Conclusion
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 referenced above. The FAA reviewed the relevant data, considered the comments received, and determined that air safety requires adopting this AD as proposed. Accordingly, the FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on this product. Except for minor editorial changes, and any other changes described previously, this AD is adopted as proposed in the NPRM. None of the changes will increase the economic burden on any operator.
Material Incorporated by Reference Under 1 CFR Part 51
The FAA reviewed EASA AD 2024-0009. This service information specifies new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations for airplane structures and safe life limits.
This AD also requires EASA AD 2023-0091, dated May 5, 2023, which the Director of the Federal Register approved for incorporation by reference as of March 7, 2024 (89 FR 6411, February 1, 2024).
This AD also requires EASA AD 2022-0192, dated September 23, 2022, which the Director of the Federal Register approved for incorporation by reference as of July 11, 2023 (88 FR 36926, June 6, 2023).
This AD also requires EASA AD 2021-0258, dated November 17, 2021, which the Director of the Federal Register approved for incorporation by reference as of August 19, 2022 (87 FR 42318, July 15, 2022).
This AD also requires EASA AD 2021-0204, dated September 14, 2021, which the Director of the Federal Register approved for incorporation by reference as of August 9, 2022 (87 FR 39743, July 5, 2022).
This AD also requires EASA AD 2021-0093, dated March 30, 2021, which the Director of the Federal Register approved for incorporation by reference as of May 3, 2022 (87 FR 17939, March 29, 2022).
This AD also requires EASA AD 2020-0111R2, dated June 16, 2020, which the Director of the Federal Register approved for incorporation by reference as of January 4, 2021 (85 FR 75838, November 27, 2020).
This AD also requires Airbus A300-600 Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS), Part 2, “Damage Tolerant Airworthiness Limitation Items (DT-ALI),” Revision 03, dated December 14, 2018, which the Director of the Federal Register approved for incorporation by reference as of November 29, 2019 (84 FR 56935, October 24, 2019).
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 ADDRESSES .
Costs of Compliance
The FAA estimates that this AD affects 120 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD:
The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with retained actions from AD 2020-23-11:
Estimated Costs From AD 2020-23-11*
| Action | Labor cost | Parts cost | Cost per product | Cost on U.S. operators |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retained actions from AD 2020-23-11 | 90 work-hours × $85 per hour = $7,650 | $0 | $7,650 | $918,000 |
| * The FAA has received no definitive data on which to base the cost estimates for the on-condition actions specified in AD 2020-23-11. |