(a) EFFECTIVE DATE
This airworthiness directive (AD) is effective May 4, 2012.
(b) AFFECTED ADS
This AD supersedes AD 2007-23-01, Amendment 39-15247 (72 FR 62568,
November 6, 2007).
(c) APPLICABILITY
This AD applies to Goodrich evacuation systems approved under
Technical Standard Order (TSO) TSO-C69b, as installed on the Airbus
airplanes, certificated in any category, identified in paragraphs
(c)(1), (c)(2), and (c)(3) of this AD.
(1) Model A330-201, -202, -203, -223, -243, -301, -302, -303, -321, -322,
-323, -341, -342, -343, -223F, and -243F airplanes, as identified in
Goodrich Service Bulletin 7A1508/09/10/39-25-373, Revision 3, dated
March 30, 2011.
(2) Model A340-211, -212, -213, -311, -312, and -313 airplanes, as
identified in Goodrich Service Bulletin 7A1508/09/10/39-25-373,
Revision 3, dated March 30, 2011.
(3) Model A340-541 and -642 airplanes, as identified in Goodrich Service
Bulletins 7A1508/09/10/39-25-373, Revision 3, dated March 30, 2011;
and 4A3928/4A3934-25-374, Revision 2, dated March 30, 2011.
(d) SUBJECT
Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC)/Air Transport Association (ATA)
of America Code 2560, Emergency Equipment.
(e) UNSAFE CONDITION
This AD was prompted by reports that during workshop testing, certain
pressure relief valves did not seal and allowed the pressure in
certain slides/rafts to fall below the minimum raft mode pressure for
the unit. We are issuing this AD to prevent loss of pressure in the
escape slides/rafts after an emergency evacuation, which could result
in inadequate buoyancy to support the raft's passenger capacity during
ditching and increase the chance for injury to raft passengers.
(f) COMPLIANCE
Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, unless
already done.
(g) INSPECTION
Within 36 months after the effective date of this AD, inspect the
evacuation systems to determine whether any pressure relief valve
having part number (P/N) 4A3641-1, 4A3791-3, 4A3641-26, or 4A3791-6 is
installed. A review of airplane maintenance records or the system
identification placard on the girt is acceptable in lieu of this
inspection if the part number of the pressure relief valve can be
conclusively determined from that review.
(h) PART REPLACEMENT
If any valve having P/N 4A3641-1, 4A3791-3, 4A3641-26, or 4A3791-6 is
identified during the inspection or review specified in paragraph (g)
of this AD: Before further flight, do the applicable actions required
by paragraphs (h)(1) and (h)(2) of this AD:
(1) Replace all pressure relief valves having P/Ns 4A3641-1 and 4A3791-3
with pressure relief valves having P/N 115815-1, and mark the system
identification placard on the girt, in accordance with the
Accomplishment Instructions of Goodrich Service Bulletin
7A1508/09/10/39-25-373, Revision 3, dated March 30, 2011.
(2) Replace all pressure relief valves having P/Ns 4A3641-26 and 4A3791-6
with pressure relief valves having P/N 115815-1 (for evacuation
systems having P/N 4A3934 series units) or 115815-2 (for evacuation
systems having P/N 4A3928 series units); and mark the system
identification placard on the girt; in accordance with the
Accomplishment Instructions of Goodrich Service Bulletin
4A3928/4A3934-25-374, Revision 2, dated March 30, 2011.
(i) PARTS INSTALLATION
As of the effective date of this AD, no person may install a pressure
relief valve having P/N 4A3641-1, 4A3791-3, 4A3641-26, or 4A3791-6 in
the evacuation system on any airplane.
(j) CREDIT FOR PREVIOUS ACTIONS
This paragraph provides credit for actions required by paragraphs (g)
and (h) of this AD, if those actions were performed before the
effective date of this AD using Goodrich Service Bulletin
7A1508/09/10/39-25-373, dated March 31, 2008, Goodrich Service
Bulletin 7A1508/09/10/39-25-373, Revision 1, dated August 1, 2008, or
Goodrich Service Bulletin 7A1508/09/10/39-25-373, Revision 2, dated
May 8, 2009; or Goodrich Service Bulletin 4A3928/4A3934-25-374, dated
July 18, 2008, or Goodrich Service Bulletin 4A3928/ 4A3934-25-374,
Revision 1, dated May 8, 2009; as applicable.
(k) ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF COMPLIANCE (AMOCS)
(1) The Manager, Los Angeles Aircraft Certification Office, 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 manager of the ACO, send it to the attention of the
person identified in the Related Information section of this AD.
(2) 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.
(l) RELATED INFORMATION
For more information about this AD, contact Tracy Ton, Aerospace
Engineer, Cabin Safety/Mechanical and Environmental Systems Branch,
ANM-150L, FAA, Los Angeles Aircraft Certification Office, 3960
Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood, California 90712-4137; phone: 562-627
-5352; fax: 562-627-5210; email: Tracy.Ton@faa.gov.
(m) MATERIAL INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
(1) You must use the following service information to do the actions
required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise. The Director
of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference (IBR)
of the following service information under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR
part 51:
(i) Goodrich Service Bulletin 7A1508/09/10/39-25-373, Revision 3, dated
March 30, 2011.
(ii) Goodrich Service Bulletin 4A3928/4A3934-25-374, Revision 2, dated
March 30, 2011.
(2) For service information identified in this AD, contact Goodrich
Corporation, Aircraft Interior Products, ATTN: Technical Publications,
3414 South Fifth Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85040; phone: 602-243-2270;
email: george.yribarren@goodrich.com; Internet: http://www.goodrich.
com/TechPubs.
(3) You may review copies of the referenced service information at the
FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton,
Washington. For information on the availability of this material at
the FAA, call 425-227-1221.
(4) You may also review copies of the service information that is
incorporated by reference at the National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this
material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to:
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr_locations.html.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on March 19, 2012. Ali Bahrami, Manager,
Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tracy Ton, Aerospace Engineer, Cabin
Safety/Mechanical and Environmental Systems Branch, ANM-150L, FAA, Los
Angeles Aircraft Certification Office, 3960 Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood,
California 90712-4137; phone: 562-627-5352; fax: 562-627- 5210; email:
Tracy.Ton@faa.gov.
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AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: We are superseding an existing airworthiness directive
(AD)
for Goodrich Evacuation Systems approved under TSO TSO-C69b and
installed on Model A330-200 and -300 series airplanes, Model A340-200
and -300 series airplanes, and Model A340-500 and -600 series
airplanes. That AD currently requires inspecting to determine the part
number of the pressure relief valves on the affected Goodrich
evacuation systems, and corrective action if necessary. This new AD
requires inspecting to determine the part number of the pressure relief
valves on the affected Goodrich evacuation systems and replacing
certain pressure relief valves, and adds airplanes to the
applicability. This AD was prompted by reports that during workshop
testing, certain pressure relief valves, which were required by the
existing AD, did not seal and allowed the pressure in certain slides/
rafts to fall below the minimum raft mode pressure for the unit. We are
issuing this AD to prevent loss of pressure in the escape slides/rafts
after an emergency evacuation, which could result in inadequate
buoyancy to support the raft's passenger capacity during ditching and
increase the chance for injury to raft passengers.
DATES: This AD is effective May 4, 2012.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by
reference of certain publications listed in the AD as of May 4, 2012.
ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this AD, contact
Goodrich Corporation, Aircraft Interior Products, ATTN: Technical
Publications, 3414 South Fifth Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85040; phone:
602-243-2270; email: george.yribarren@goodrich.com; Internet: http://www.goodrich.com/TechPubs.
You may review copies of the referenced
service information at the FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601
Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington. For information on the
availability of this material at the FAA, call 425-227-1221.
Examining the AD Docket
You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov;
or in person at the Docket Management Facility
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. The AD docket contains this AD, the regulatory evaluation,
any comments received, and other information. The address for the
Docket Office (phone: 800-647-5527) is Document Management Facility,
U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE.,
Washington, DC 20590.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tracy Ton, Aerospace Engineer,
Cabin
Safety/Mechanical and Environmental Systems Branch, ANM-150L, FAA, Los
Angeles Aircraft Certification Office, 3960 Paramount Boulevard,
Lakewood, California 90712-4137; phone: 562-627-5352; fax: 562-627-
5210; email: Tracy.Ton@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Discussion
We issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) to
amend 14 CFR part 39 to supersede AD 2007-23-01, Amendment 39-15247 (72
FR 62568, November 6, 2007). That AD applies to the specified products.
The SNPRM was published in the Federal Register on December 29, 2011
(76 FR 81885). The original NPRM (76 FR 15229, March 21, 2011) proposed
to require inspecting to determine the part number of the pressure
relief valves on the affected Goodrich evacuation systems and replacing
certain pressure relief valves. The original NPRM also added Model
A330-223F and -243F airplanes to the applicability. The SNPRM proposed
to add Model A330-302 and -303 airplanes to the applicability.
Comments
We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing
this AD. We received no comments on the SNPRM (76 FR 81885, December
29, 2011) or on the determination of the cost to the public.
Conclusion
We reviewed the relevant data and determined that air safety and
the public interest require adopting the AD as proposed.
Costs of Compliance
We estimate that this AD affects 41 airplanes of U.S. registry.
We estimate the following costs to comply with this AD:
Estimated Costs
|
Action
|
Labor cost
|
Parts cost
|
Cost per
product
|
Cost on
U.S.
operators
|
| Inspection to determine
part numbers |
1 work-hour x $85
per hour = $85. |
$0
|
$85
|
$3,485
|
We estimate the following costs to
do any necessary replacements
that would be required based on the results of the inspection. We have
no way of determining the number of aircraft that might need these
replacements.
On-Condition Costs
|
Action
|
Labor cost
|
Parts cost
|
Cost per
product
|
|
Valve replacement
|
1 work-hour
x $85 per hour = $85.
|
$775
|
$860 per slide.
|
According to the manufacturer, some
of the costs of this AD may be
covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on affected
individuals. We do not control warranty coverage for affected
individuals. As a result, we have included all costs in our 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.
We are 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
We have determined that this AD will not have federalism
implications under Executive Order 13132. This AD will 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 that this AD:
(1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive
Order 12866,
(2) Is not a ``significant rule'' under DOT Regulatory Policies and
Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979),
(3) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and
(4) 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.
Adoption of the Amendment
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the FAA amends 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.
Sec. 39.13 [Amended]
2. The FAA amends Sec. 39.13 by removing airworthiness directive (AD)
2007-23-01, Amendment 39-15247 (72 FR 62568, November 6, 2007), and
adding the following new AD:
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