Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS Airplanes

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or arguments about this proposal. Send your comments to an address listed under the ADDRESSES section. Include “Docket No. FAA-2024-2141; Project Identifier MCAI-2024-00421-T” at the beginning of your comments. The most helpful comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, 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 proposal 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 NPRM.

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 NPRM 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 NPRM, 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 NPRM. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Dan Rodina, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; phone: 206-231-3225; email: Dan.Rodina@faa.gov. Any commentary that the FAA receives which is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this rulemaking.

Background

The FAA issued AD 2022-11-01, Amendment 39-22051 (87 FR 32292, May 31, 2022) (AD 2022-11-01), on certain Airbus SAS Model A300 and A300-600 series airplanes. AD 2022-11-01 was prompted by an MCAI originated by EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union. EASA issued AD 2021-0190, dated August 17, 2021, to correct an unsafe condition.

AD 2022-11-01 requires a one-time DET of the MLG support rib 5 lower flange, inboard and outboard of rib 5, on the right-hand and left-hand sides ( i.e., affected area); a one-time FPI around the spot facing of certain fastener holes if necessary; and applicable corrective actions. The FAA issued AD 2022-11-01 to address cracking in the affected area. This condition, if not detected and corrected, could affect the structural integrity of the airplane.

Actions Since AD 2022-11-01 Was Issued

Since the FAA issued AD 2022-11-01, EASA superseded AD 2021-0190, dated August 17, 2021, and issued EASA AD 2024-0145, dated July 23, 2024 (EASA AD 2024-0145) (also referred to as the MCAI), to correct an unsafe condition for certain Airbus SAS Model A300, A300-600, and A300-600ST series airplanes. Model A300-600ST airplanes are not certificated by the FAA and are not included on the U.S. type certificate data sheet; this AD therefore does not include those airplanes in the applicability. The MCAI states that certain airplanes were excluded from the applicability of EASA AD 2021-0190 on the assumption they were withdrawn from service. Since issuance of that EASA AD, it was determined at least one of those airplanes is in service and the DET and FPI were accomplished on that airplane. Further, there is no evidence that the other excluded airplanes were scrapped or dismantled so the possibility exists they could also return to service. For these reasons, the applicability was expanded to include those airplanes.

Also, since the FAA issued AD 2022-11-01, FAA Type Certificate A35EU was updated to remove Airbus SAS Model A300 B2-1A, B2-1C, B2K-3C, and B2-203 airplanes. The FAA therefore is proposing to remove those airplanes from the applicability of this proposed AD.

The FAA is proposing 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-2024-2141.

Material Incorporated by Reference Under 1 CFR Part 51

EASA AD 2024-0145 specifies procedures for a one-time DET of the affected area, a one-time FPI around the spot facing of certain fastener holes in the affected area if no crack is detected during the DET, and obtaining and following approved repair instructions if any crack is found during the DET or FPI. EASA AD 2024-0145 also updated the applicability 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 referenced above. The FAA is issuing this NPRM after determining that the unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design.

Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM

This proposed AD would require accomplishing the actions specified in EASA AD 2024-0145 described previously, except for any differences identified as exceptions in the regulatory text of this proposed 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, the FAA proposes to incorporate EASA AD 2024-0145 by reference in the FAA final rule. This proposed AD would, therefore, require compliance with EASA AD 2024-0145 in its entirety through that incorporation, except for any differences identified as exceptions in the regulatory text of this proposed AD. Using common terms that are the same as the heading of a particular section in EASA AD 2024-0145 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 2024-0145. Material required by EASA AD 2024-0145 for compliance will be available at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2024-2141 after the FAA final rule is published.

Costs of Compliance

The FAA estimates that this AD, adopted as proposed, would affect 124 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed AD: