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) 2020-21-05, which applies to all Airbus SAS Model A330-200 Freighter, A330-200, A330-300, A330-900, A340-200, A340-300, A340-500, and A340-600 series airplanes. AD 2020-21-05 requires repetitive inspections of certain fuel pumps for cavitation erosion, replacement if necessary, revision of the operator's minimum equipment list (MEL), and accomplishment of certain maintenance actions related to defueling and ground fuel transfer operations. Since the FAA issued AD 2020-21-05, a determination was made that certain compliance times need to be revised and that additional airplanes are subject to the unsafe condition. This proposed AD would retain the requirements of AD 2020-21-05, revise certain compliance times, and expand the applicability, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is proposed for incorporation 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 July 6, 2021.

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 https://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 material that will be incorporated by reference (IBR) in this AD, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; telephone +49 221 8999 000; email ADs@easa.europa.eu; 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, 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 in the AD docket on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2021-0372.

Examining the AD Docket

You may examine the AD docket on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2021-0372; 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, any comments received, and other information. The street address for Docket Operations is listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Vladimir Ulyanov, Aerospace Engineer, Large Aircraft Section, International Validation Branch, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone and fax 206-231-3229; email vladimir.ulyanov@faa.gov.

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-2021-0372; Project Identifier MCAI-2020-01684-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 the 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 https://www.regulations.gov,, including any personal information you provide. The agency will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact received about this proposed AD.

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, Aerospace Engineer, Large Aircraft Section, International Validation Branch, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone and fax 206-231-3229; email vladimir.ulyanov@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 2020-21-05, Amendment 39-21278 (85 FR 64963, October 14, 2020) (AD 2020-21-05), which applies to all Airbus SAS Model A330-200 Freighter, A330-200, A330-300, A330-900, A340-200, A340-300, A340-500 and A340-600 series airplanes. AD 2020-21-05 requires repetitive inspections of certain fuel pumps for cavitation erosion, replacement if necessary, revision of the operator's MEL, and accomplishment of certain maintenance actions related to defueling and ground fuel transfer operations. The FAA issued AD 2020-21-05 to address fuel pump erosion caused by cavitation. If this condition is not addressed, a pump running dry could result in a fuel tank explosion and consequent loss of the airplane.

Actions Since AD 2020-21-05 Was Issued

Since the FAA issued AD 2020-21-05, it has been determined, through an assessment of inspection results, that the flight cycles accumulated by an affected part, when installed at a certain location, must also be considered, and certain compliance times need to be revised accordingly. In addition, Model A330-841 airplanes have been found to be subject to the unsafe condition.

EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, has issued EASA AD 2020-0283, dated December 17, 2020; corrected December 24, 2020 (EASA AD 2020-0283) (also referred to as the Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information, or the MCAI), to correct an unsafe condition for all Airbus A330-201, A330-202, A330-203, A330-223, A330-223F, A330-243, A330-243F, A330-301, A330-302, A330-303, A330-321, A330-322, A330-323, A330-341, A330-342, A330-343, A330-743L, A330-841, A330-941, A340-211, A340-212, A340-213, A340-311, A340-312, A340-313, A340-541, A340-542, A340-642 and A340-643 airplanes. EASA AD 2020-0283 supersedes EASA AD 2019-0291R1 (which corresponds to FAA AD 2020-21-05). Model A330-743L, A340-542, and A340-643 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.

This proposed AD was prompted by reports of a fuel pump showing cavitation erosion that breached the fuel pump housing through the inlet webs and exposed the fuel pump power supply wires, and a determination that certain compliance times need to be revised and that additional airplanes are subject to the unsafe condition. The FAA is proposing this AD to address fuel pump erosion caused by cavitation. If this condition is not addressed, a pump running dry could result in a fuel tank explosion and consequent loss of the airplane. See the MCAI for additional background information.

Explanation of Retained Requirements

Although this proposed AD does not explicitly restate the requirements of AD 2020-21-05, this proposed AD would retain all of the requirements of AD 2020-21-05. Those requirements are referenced in EASA AD 2020-0283, which, in turn, is referenced in paragraph (g) of this proposed AD.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

EASA AD 2020-0283 describes procedures for repetitive inspections of all affected parts, replacement if necessary, updating of the applicable Master Minimum Equipment List (MMEL), and certain maintenance actions related to defueling and ground fuel transfer operations.

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 described in the MCAI referenced above. The FAA is proposing this AD because the FAA evaluated all pertinent information and determined an unsafe condition exists and is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same type design.

Proposed AD Requirements

This proposed AD would require accomplishing the actions specified in EASA AD 2020-0283 described previously, as incorporated by reference, except for any differences identified as exceptions in the regulatory text of this AD.

EASA AD 2020-0283 requires operators to “inform all flight crews” of revisions to the MMEL, and thereafter to “operate the aeroplane accordingly.” However, this AD would not specifically require those actions as they are already required by FAA regulations.

FAA regulations (14 CFR 121.628(a)(2)) require operators to provide pilots with access to all of the information contained in the operator's MEL.

Furthermore, 14 CFR 121.628(a)(5) requires airplanes to be operated under all applicable conditions and limitations contained in the operator's MEL. Therefore, including a requirement in this AD to operate the airplane according to the revised MEL would be redundant and unnecessary. Further, compliance with such a requirement in an AD would be impracticable to demonstrate or track on an ongoing basis; therefore, a requirement to operate the airplane in such a manner would be unenforceable.

Explanation of Required Compliance Information

In the FAA's ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency of the AD process, the FAA initially 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. The FAA has since coordinated with other manufacturers and civil aviation authorities (CAAs) to use this process. As a result, EASA AD 2020-0283 will be incorporated by reference in the FAA final rule. This proposed AD would, therefore, require compliance with EASA AD 2020-0283 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 the EASA AD 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 the EASA AD. Service information specified in EASA AD 2020-0283 that is required for compliance with EASA AD 2020-0283 will be available on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2021-0372 after the FAA final rule is published.

Interim Action

The FAA considers this proposed AD interim action. If final action is later identified, the FAA might consider further rulemaking then.

Costs of Compliance

The FAA estimates that this proposed AD affects 112 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed AD:

The FAA estimates the following costs to do any necessary on-condition actions 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:

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.

2. The FAA amends § 39.13 by:

a. Removing Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2020-21-05, Amendment 39-21278 ( 85 FR 64963, October 14, 2020), and

b. Adding the following new AD:

Airbus SAS: Docket No. FAA-2021-0372; Project Identifier MCAI-2020-01684-T.

(a) Comments Due Date

The FAA must receive comments on this airworthiness directive (AD) by July 6, 2021.

(b) Affected ADs

This AD replaces AD 2020-21-05, Amendment 39-21278 (85 FR 64963, October 14, 2020) (AD 2020-21-05).

(c) Applicability

This AD applies to all Airbus SAS airplanes, certificated in any category, and identified in paragraphs (c)(1) through (9) of this AD.

(1) Model A330-223F and -243F airplanes.

(2) Model A330-201, -202, -203, -223, and -243 airplanes.

(3) Model A330-301, -302, -303, -321, -322, -323, -341, -342, and -343 airplanes.

(4) Model A330-841 airplanes.

(5) Model A330-941 airplanes.

(6) Model A340-211, -212, and -213 airplanes.

(7) Model A340-311, -312, and -313 airplanes.

(8) Model A340-541 airplanes.

(9) Model A340-642 airplanes.

(d) Subject

Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 28, Fuel.

(e) Reason

This AD was prompted by reports of a fuel pump showing cavitation erosion that exposed the fuel pump power supply wires, and by a determination that certain compliance times need to be revised and that additional airplanes are subject to the unsafe condition. The FAA is issuing this AD to address fuel pump erosion caused by cavitation. If this condition is not addressed, a pump running dry could result 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, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2020-0283, dated December 17, 2020; corrected December 24, 2020 (EASA AD 2020-0283).

(h) Exceptions to EASA AD 2020-0283

(1) Where EASA AD 2020-0283 refers to its effective date, this AD requires using the effective date of this AD.

(2) The “Remarks” section of EASA AD 2020-0283 does not apply to this AD.

(3) Where EASA AD 2020-0283 refers to the master minimum equipment list (MMEL), this AD refers to the operator's minimum equipment list (MEL).

(4) Where EASA AD 2020-0283 refers to “13 December 2019 [the effective date of EASA AD 2019-0291 at original issue],” this AD requires using “November 18, 2020 (the effective date of AD 2020-21-05).”

(5) Where EASA AD 2020-0283 refers to “17 November 2017 [the effective date of EASA AD 2017-0224],” this AD requires using “December 29, 2017 (the effective date of AD 2017-25-16, Amendment 39-19130 (82 FR 58718, December 14, 2017) (AD 2017-25-16).”

(6) Where paragraphs (8), (9), and (10) of EASA AD 2020-0283 specify to “inform all flight crews, and, thereafter, operate the aeroplane accordingly,” this AD does not require those actions as those actions are already required by existing FAA operating regulations.

(i) No Reporting Requirement

Although the service information referenced in EASA AD 2020-0283 specifies to submit certain information to the manufacturer, this AD does not include that requirement.

(j) Other FAA AD Provisions

The following provisions also apply to this AD:

(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, Large Aircraft Section, 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 Large Aircraft Section, International Validation Branch, send it to the attention of the person identified in paragraph (k)(2) of this AD. Information may be emailed to: 9-AVS-AIR-730-AMOC@faa.gov. 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, Large Aircraft Section, 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): For any service information referenced in EASA AD 2020-0283 that contains RC procedures and tests: Except as required by paragraph (j)(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.

(k) Related Information

(1) For information about EASA AD 2020-0283, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; telephone +49 221 8999 000; email ADs@easa.europa.eu; 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 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. This material may be found in the AD docket on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2021-0372.

(2) For more information about this AD, contact Vladimir Ulyanov, Aerospace Engineer, Large Aircraft Section, International Validation Branch, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone and fax 206-231-3229; email vladimir.ulyanov@faa.gov.