Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS Airplanes
| Published date | 30 August 2019 |
| Record Number | 2019-18761 |
| Section | Proposed rules |
| Court | Federal Aviation Administration |
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 169 (Friday, August 30, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 169 (Friday, August 30, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 45690-45692]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-18761]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 169 / Friday, August 30, 2019 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 45690]]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2019-0667; Product Identifier 2019-NM-085-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS Airplanes
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD)
for certain Airbus SAS Model A320-214, -216, -232, and -233 airplanes.
This proposed AD was prompted by a report of undetected contacts
between certain harnesses of the common fuel quantity indicating system
and the center tank structure. This proposed AD would require
modification of the fasteners for certain harness routings, as
specified in a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which will be
incorporated by reference. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the
unsafe condition on these products.
DATES: The FAA must receive comments on this proposed AD by October 15,
2019.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR
11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Fax: 202-493-2251.
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.
Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
For the material identified in this proposed AD that will be
incorporated by reference (IBR), contact the EASA, at Konrad-Adenauer-
Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; phone: +49 221 89990 1000; email:
[email protected]; internet: www.easa.europa.eu. You may find this IBR
material on the EASA website at https://ad.easa.europa.eu. You may view
this IBR material at the FAA, Transport Standards 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 in the AD
docket on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for
and locating Docket No. FAA-2019-0667.
Examining the AD Docket
You may examine the AD docket on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2019-
0667; 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 NPRM, the regulatory evaluation, any comments received, and other
information. The street address for Docket Operations is listed above.
Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sanjay Ralhan, Aerospace Engineer,
International Section, Transport Standards Branch, FAA, 2200 South
216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; phone and fax: 206-231-3223.
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-2019-0667;
Product Identifier 2019-NM-085-AD'' at the beginning of your comments.
The FAA specifically invites comments on the overall regulatory,
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this NPRM. The FAA will
consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend this
NPRM based on those comments.
The FAA will post all comments, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide.
The FAA will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal
contact the agency receives about this NPRM.
Discussion
The EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the
European Union, has issued EASA AD 2018-0155, dated July 20, 2018
(``EASA AD 2018-0155'') (also referred to as the Mandatory Continuing
Airworthiness Information, or ``the MCAI''), to correct an unsafe
condition for certain Airbus SAS Model A320-214, -216, -232, and -233
airplanes. The MCAI states:
A Zonal Safety review identified previously undetected contacts
between harnesses and the centre tank structure. Investigation
determined that these contacts were introduced with a new harness
routing upon installation of a common fuel quantity indicating
system across A320 family aeroplanes (Airbus mod 155636).
This condition, if not corrected, could create, in case of
lightning strike with chafing present, an ignition source inside the
centre fuel tank, possibly resulting in a fuel tank explosion and
consequent loss of the aeroplane.
To address this potential unsafe condition, Airbus issued
Service Bulletin (SB) A320-92-1121 to provide instructions for
modification of the harnesses.
For the reason described above, this [EASA] AD requires
modification of harnesses 17QT and 18QT of the common fuel quantity
indicating system by introducing longer spacers and additional
clamps.
Related IBR Material Under 1 CFR Part 51
EASA AD 2018-0155 describes procedures for modification of the
fasteners for harness routings 17QT and 18QT.
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 and Requirements of This Proposed AD
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 the State of Design Authority,
the FAA has been notified of the unsafe condition
[[Page 45691]]
described in the MCAI referenced above. The FAA is proposing this AD
because the FAA evaluated all the relevant information and determined
the unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist or develop
in other products of the same type design.
Proposed AD Requirements
This proposed AD would require accomplishing the actions specified
in EASA AD 2018-0155 described previously, as incorporated by
reference, 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 worked with Airbus and EASA to develop a process to
use certain EASA ADs as the primary source of information for
compliance with requirements for corresponding FAA ADs. As a result,
EASA AD 2018-0155 will be incorporated by reference in the FAA final
rule. This proposed AD would, therefore, require compliance with the
provisions specified in EASA AD 2018-0155, through that incorporation,
except for any differences identified as exceptions in the regulatory
text of this proposed AD. Service information specified in EASA AD
2018-0155 that is required for compliance with EASA AD 2018-0155 will
be available on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching
for and locating Docket No. FAA-2019-0667 after the FAA final rule is
published.
Costs of Compliance
The FAA estimates that this proposed AD affects 5 airplanes of U.S.
registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this
proposed AD:
Estimated Costs for Required Actions
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cost per Cost on U.S.
Labor cost Parts cost product operators
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5 work-hours x $85 per hour = $425........................... $200 $625 $3,125
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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.
This proposed AD is issued in accordance with authority delegated
by the Executive Director, Aircraft Certification Service, as
authorized by FAA Order 8000.51C. In accordance with that order,
issuance of ADs is normally a function of the Compliance and
Airworthiness Division, but during this transition period, the
Executive Director has delegated the authority to issue ADs applicable
to transport category airplanes and associated appliances to the
Director of the System Oversight Division.
Regulatory Findings
The FAA determined that this proposed AD would not have federalism
implications under Executive Order 13132. This proposed AD would 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 this proposed
regulation:
(1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive
Order 12866,
(2) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, 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.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by
reference, Safety.
The Proposed Amendment
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the FAA proposes to amend 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 (AD):
Airbus SAS: Docket No. FAA-2019-0667; Product Identifier 2019-NM-
085-AD.
(a) Comments Due Date
The FAA must receive comments by October 15, 2019.
(b) Affected ADs
None.
(c) Applicability
This AD applies to Airbus SAS Model A320-214, -216, -232, and -
233 airplanes, certificated in any category, as identified in
European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2018-0155, dated July 20,
2018 (``EASA AD 2018-0155'').
(d) Subject
Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 92, Electrical
system installation.
(e) Reason
This AD was prompted by a report of undetected contacts between
certain harnesses of the common fuel quantity indicating system and
the center tank structure. The FAA is issuing this AD to address
undetected contacts between certain harnesses of the common fuel
quantity indicating system and the center tank structure, which
could create, in case of a lightning strike with chafing present, an
ignition source inside the center fuel tank, possibly resulting in a
fuel tank explosion and consequent loss of the airplane.
(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, EASA AD 2018-0155.
(h) Exceptions to EASA AD 2018-0155
(1) For purposes of determining compliance with the requirements
of this AD:
[[Page 45692]]
Where EASA AD 2018-0155 refers to its effective date, this AD
requires using the effective date of this AD.
(2) The ``Remarks'' section of EASA AD 2018-0155 does not apply
to this AD.
(i) Other FAA AD Provisions
The following provisions also apply to this AD:
(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager,
International Section, Transport Standards 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 local Flight
Standards District Office, as appropriate. If sending information
directly to the International Section, send it to the attention of
the person identified in paragraph (j)(2) 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 local flight
standards district office/certificate holding district 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
Section, Transport Standards 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): For any service information
referenced in EASA AD 2018-0155 that contains RC procedures and
tests: Except as required by paragraph (i)(2) of this AD, RC
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.
(j) Related Information
(1) For information about EASA AD 2018-0155, contact the EASA,
Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; phone: +49 221 89990
6017; email: [email protected]; internet: www.easa.europa.eu. You
may find this EASA AD on the EASA website at https://ad.easa.europa.eu. You may view this EASA AD at the FAA, Transport
Standards Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA. For
information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call
206-231-3195. EASA AD 2018-0155 may be found in the AD docket on the
internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating
Docket No. FAA-2019-0667.
(2) For more information about this AD, contact Sanjay Ralhan,
Aerospace Engineer, International Section, Transport Standards
Branch, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; phone and
fax: 206-231-3223.
Issued in Des Moines, Washington, on August 22, 2019.
Suzanne Masterson,
Acting Director, System Oversight Division, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-18761 Filed 8-29-19; 8:45 am]
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