2024-09510. Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS Airplanes

AGENCY:

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

SUMMARY:

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2022-16-06, which applies to certain Airbus SAS Model A330-200, A330-200 Freighter, A330-300, and A330-900 series airplanes; and all Model A340-200 and A340-300 series airplanes. AD 2022-16-06 requires modifying the Trimmable Horizontal Stabilizer Actuator (THSA) installation, implementing the electrical load sensing device (ELSD) wiring provisions, and installing and activating the ELSD. Since the FAA issued AD 2022-16-06, it has been determined that the required actions cannot be accomplished on certain airplanes, and additional instructions and corrections have been developed. This proposed AD would continue to require the actions in AD 2022-16-06 with certain revised procedures and would require additional work for certain airplanes, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). 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 June 27, 2024.

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 regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
• Fax: [phone].
• 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.

AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2024-1294; 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 mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI), any comments received, and other information. The street address for Docket Operations is listed above.

Material Incorporated by Reference:

• For the EASA AD identified in this NPRM, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; telephone [phone]; [e-mail]; website easa.europa.eu. You may find this material on the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu. It is also available at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2024-1294.
• 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Vladimir Ulyanov, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; telephone [phone]; email [e-mail].

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 ADDRESSES . Include “Docket No. FAA-2024-1294; Project Identifier MCAI-2024-00042-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 Vladimir Ulyanov, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; telephone [phone]; email [e-mail]. 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 2022-16-06, Amendment 39-22135 (87 FR 51588, August 23, 2022) (AD 2022-16-06), for certain Airbus SAS Model A330-201, -202, -203, -223, -223F, -243, -243F, -301, -302, -303, -321, -322, -323, -341, -342, -343, and -941 airplanes; and all Model A340-211, -212, -213, -311, -312, and -313 airplanes. AD 2022-16-06 was prompted by an MCAI originated by EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union. EASA issued AD 2022-0039, dated March 8, 2022, to correct an unsafe condition.

AD 2022-16-06 requires modifying the THSA installation, implementing the ELSD wiring provisions, and installing and activating the ELSD. The FAA issued AD 2022-16-06 to address damage on the upper THSA SLP attachment, with consequent mechanical disconnection of the THSA, possibly resulting in loss of control of the airplane.

Actions Since AD 2022-16-06 Was Issued

Since the FAA issued AD 2022-16-06, EASA superseded AD 2022-0039, dated March 8, 2022 (EASA AD 2022-0039), and issued EASA AD 2024-0016, dated January 11, 2024 (EASA AD 2024-0016) (also referred to as the MCAI), to correct an unsafe condition for certain Airbus SAS Model A330-201, -202, -203, -223, -223F, -243, -243F, -301, -302, -303, -321, -322, -323, -341, -342, -343, and 0-941 airplanes; and all Airbus SAS Model A340-211, -212, -213, -311, -312, and -313 airplanes. The MCAI states that it has been determined that the actions specified in EASA AD 2022-0039 cannot be accomplished on certain affected airplanes. Airbus subsequently developed additional instructions and corrections for the procedures. In certain circumstances, there may be no indication to the flightcrew of the engagement of the upper secondary load path (SLP) of the THSA. This condition, if not addressed, could lead to damage on the upper THSA SLP attachment, with consequent mechanical disconnection of the THSA, resulting in loss of control of the airplane.

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-2024-1294.

Explanation of Retained Requirements

Although this proposed AD does not explicitly restate the requirements of AD 2022-16-06, this proposed AD would retain all of the requirements of AD 2022-16-06. Those requirements are referenced in EASA AD 2024-0016, which, in turn, is referenced in paragraph (g) of this proposed AD.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

EASA AD 2024-0016 specifies procedures for installing and activating the ELSD and wiring provisions, and doing additional work that includes additional instructions and corrections for certain 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 retain all requirements of AD 2022-16-06. This proposed AD would also require additional work for certain airplanes. This proposed AD would require accomplishing the actions specified in EASA AD 2024-0016 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 2024-0016 by reference in the FAA final rule. This proposed AD would, therefore, require compliance with EASA AD 2024-0016 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 2024-0016 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 2024-0016. Service information required by EASA AD 2024-0016 for compliance will be available at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2024-1294 after the FAA final rule is published.

Costs of Compliance

The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would affect 120 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed AD:

Estimated Costs for Required Actions

Action	Labor cost	Parts cost	Cost per product	Cost on U.S. operators
Retained actions from AD 2022-16-06	57 work-hours × $85 per hour = $4,845	Up to $23,000	Up to $27,845	Up to $3,341,400.
New proposed actions	5 work-hours × $85 per hour = $425	$43,966	$44,391	Up to $5,326,920.

According to the manufacturer, some or all of the costs of this proposed AD may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on affected individuals. The FAA does not control warranty coverage for affected individuals. 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

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) Would not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and

(3) Would 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

1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.

§ 39.13

[Amended]

2. The FAA amends § 39.13 by:

a. Removing Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2022-16-06, Amendment 39-22135 ( 87 FR 51588, August 23, 2022); and

b. Adding the following new AD:

Airbus SAS: Docket No. FAA-2024-1294; Project Identifier MCAI-2024-00042-T.

(a) Comments Due Date

The FAA must receive comments on this airworthiness directive (AD) by June 27, 2024.

(b) Affected ADs

This AD replaces AD 2022-16-06, Amendment 39-22135 (87 FR 51588, August 23, 2022) (AD 2022-16-06).

(c) Applicability

This AD applies to Airbus SAS airplanes specified in paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of this AD, certificated in any category, as identified in European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2024-0016, dated January 11, 2024 (EASA AD 2024-0016).

(1) Model A330-201, -202, -203, -223, -223F, -243, -243F, -301, -302, -303, -321, -322, -323, -341, -342, -343, and -941 airplanes.

(2) Model A340-211, -212, -213, -311, -312, and -313 airplanes.

(d) Subject

Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 27, Flight Controls.

(e) Unsafe Condition

This AD was prompted by tests that demonstrated that when the upper secondary load path (SLP) of the trimmable horizontal stabilizer actuator (THSA) is engaged, the THSA might not stall, with consequently no indication of SLP engagement, and by the recent determination that the required actions of AD 2022-16-06 cannot be accomplished on certain airplanes. The FAA is issuing this AD to prevent damage on the upper THSA SLP attachment, with consequent mechanical disconnection of the THSA, that could result in loss of control 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 2024-0016.

(h) Exceptions to EASA AD 2024-0016

(1) Where EASA AD 2024-0016 refers to “22 March 2022 [the effective date of EASA AD 2022-0039],” this AD requires using September 27, 2022 (the effective date of AD 2022-16-06).

(2) Where EASA AD 2024-0016 refers to its effective date, this AD requires using the effective date of this AD.

(3) Where paragraph (1) of EASA AD 2024-0016 applies to airplanes in “Group 1,” this AD requires replacing that text with “Group 1 airplanes, except as specified in paragraph (3)” of EASA AD 2024-0016.

(4) This AD does not adopt the “Remarks” section of EASA AD 2024-0016.

(i) 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 International Validation Branch, mail it to the address identified in paragraph (j) of this AD. Information may be emailed to: [e-mail].

(i) Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager of the responsible Flight Standards Office.

(ii) AMOCs approved previously for AD 2022-16-06 are approved as AMOCs for the corresponding provisions of EASA AD 2024-0016 that are required by paragraph (g) of this AD.

(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 (i)(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.

(j) Additional Information

For more information about this AD, contact Vladimir Ulyanov, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; telephone [phone]; email [e-mail].

(k) 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) European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2024-0016, dated January 11, 2024.

(ii) [Reserved]

(3) For EASA AD 2024-0016, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; telephone [phone]; email [e-mail]; website easa.europa.eu. You may find this EASA AD on the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu.

(4) 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.

(5) You may view this material at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/​federal-register/​cfr/​ibr-locations, or email [e-mail].

Issued on April 26, 2024.

James D. Foltz,

Deputy Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification Service.