Safety Rules & Regulations

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A310. Final rule; request for comments. SUMMARY: The FAA is revising an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to all Airbus Model A310 airplanes. That AD currently requires revising the Airworthiness Limitations Section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to incorporate new limitations for fuel tank systems. This AD clarifies the intended effect of the AD on spare and on-airplane fuel tank system components. This AD results from fuel system reviews conducted by the manufacturer. We are issuing this AD to prevent the potential of ignition sources inside fuel tanks, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors caused by latent failures, alterations, repairs, or maintenance actions, could result in fuel tank explosions and consequent loss of the airplane. DATES: This AD is effective November 12, 2009.

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A300. Final rule; request for comments. SUMMARY: The FAA is revising an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to all Airbus Model A300 airplanes. That AD currently requires revising the Airworthiness Limitations Section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to incorporate new limitations for fuel tank systems. This AD clarifies the intended effect of the AD on spare and on-airplane fuel tank system components. This AD results from fuel system reviews conducted by the manufacturer. We are issuing this AD to prevent the potential of ignition sources inside fuel tanks, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors caused by latent failures, alterations, repairs, or maintenance actions, could result in fuel tank explosions and consequent loss of the airplane. DATES: This AD is effective November 12, 2009.

Airworthiness Directives; General Electric Company CF6-80C2 Series Turbofan Engines. Final Rule. SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for General Electric Company (GE) CF6-80C2 series turbofan engines with certain thrust reverser ballscrew gearbox assembly adjustable-length end actuators installed. This AD requires initial visual inspections and repetitive replacements of the 3/8-inch rod-ends installed on the thrust reverser ballscrew gearbox assembly adjustable-length end actuators. This AD also allows an optional terminating action to those repetitive replacements. This AD also requires initial visual inspections and replacements, if necessary, of the other hardware connecting the thrust reverser transcowls to the engine. This AD results from reports of four failures of rod-ends on certain thrust reverser ballscrew gearbox assembly adjustable-length end actuators, leading to partial or complete separation of the transcowl from the engine and airplane during thrust reversal. We are issuing this AD to prevent loss of asymmetric thrust and thrust control. DATES: This AD becomes effective December 1, 2009,

Airworthiness Directives; Rolls-Royce plc RB211 Trent 800 Series Turbofan Engines. Final rule. SUMMARY: The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for Rolls-Royce RB211 Trent 875-17, Trent 877-17, Trent 884-17, Trent 892-17, Trent 892B-17, and Trent 895-17 turbofan engines with high-pressure (HP) compressor rotor rear stage 5 and 6 discs and cone shafts, part numbers (P/Ns) FK25230 and FK27899 installed. That AD currently requires removal from service of these HP compressor rotor rear stage 5 and 6 discs and cone shafts before reaching newly reduced life limits. This AD requires removing these parts at new reduced cycle limits. This AD results from Rolls-Royce plc reducing the lives of these parts and changing the life calculating method to use ''Standard Duty Cycles'' with ''Multiple Flight Profile Monitoring'' and ''Flight Cycles'' with ''Heavy Flight Profile Monitoring''. We are issuing this AD to prevent stage 5 and 6 disc crack initiation and propagation that might lead to uncontained disc failure and damage to the airplane. DATES: This AD becomes effective November 20, 2009.

Airworthiness Directives; Turbomeca ARRIUS 1A Turboshaft Engines. Final rule. SUMMARY: This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as: Cycle life limit value for ARRIUS 1A balancing piston Part Number (P/N) 0 319 20 152 0, initially set at 40 000 cycles, has been reduced to 16 000 cycles, following the discovery of a calculation error during a recent review of the ARRIUS 1 engine family files. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the balancing piston, which could result in an engine in-flight shutdown and the release of high-energy debris and damage to the helicopter. DATES: This AD becomes effective November 20, 2009.

Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A300-600. Final rule. SUMMARY: This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as: Further to initial qualification tests of the spoiler actuators currently installed in position No. 3 to 7 on A300-600 and A300-600ST aircraft fleet, a life limit [of 55,750 flight hours] has been defined by the actuator manufacturer. Initially, this life limit had no repercussions, as it was situated well beyond the initial Design Service Goal (DSG) of the aircraft. However, due to the Extended Service Goal (ESG) activities, the spoiler actuator life limit can be reached in service, and therefore the spoiler actuators must be replaced before exceeding this limit. In order to mitigate the risk to have aircraft on which the three hydraulic circuits would be impacted by affected spoiler actuators, which could result in the loss of controllability of the aircraft, this Airworthiness Directive (AD) requires actions to ensure that at least the level of safety of one hydraulic circuit will be restored within an acceptable timeframe. We are issuing this AD to require actions to correct the unsafe condition on these products. DATES: This AD becomes effective December 1, 2009.

Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter Model EC 155B and EC155B1 Helicopters. Final rule; request for comments. SUMMARY: This AD results from a mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) AD issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Community. The MCAI AD states that freezing of the route display on the navigation display (ND) in the Sector mode occurs for flight plans that include procedures in the terminal zone (departure or arrival). The MCAI AD prohibits the use of the UNS-1D navigation system (also known as the Flight Management System (FMS)) for Standard Instrument Departure (SID), Standard Instrument Terminal Arrival Route (STAR), and instrument approach procedures. The actions are intended to prevent the flight crew from relying on a frozen route ND, unanticipated increases in flight crew workload, pilot confusion in the terminal airspace environment, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. DATES: This AD becomes effective on November 12, 2009.