Recent Regulatory Activity

Air Safety Week, April 4, 2005

Date posted on  Federal Register: March 25  Final rule, request for comments on
airworthiness directive (AD 2005-07-01)  Docket No. FAA-2005-20514  Icing
awareness
Summary of Situation: Cessna Models 208 and 208B airplanes. To prevent loss of
control in icing conditions, the airplane flight manual (AFM) is being modified
to include the phrase: "WARNING: The stall warning system has not been tested in
all icing conditions and should not be relied upon in icing conditions."  Action
is based on 6 crashes over the past two years and 9 incidents in the past two
months.
Action Date & Comments: AD effective March 29. Make changes to flight manual by
April 1. Comments due by April 30.  Most of the events have occurred on approach
and landing. One-third are suspected to be in supercooled large droplets, which
are outside of the certification envelope and hence the warning.  The AD says,
"The information shows that icing accidents/incidents are just as prevalent
during the months of March and April [as] in November, December, and January.
Therefore, the next month is critical for the continued operational safety of
the Cessna Models 208 and 208B in icing conditions." (The Cessna is not the only
plane vulnerable to icing; see the March 27 event at Univ. Park, Pa , on p. 10)

Date posted on  Federal Register: March 28  Final rule, request for comments,
transmitting AD 2005-07-07  FR Doc 05-6106 Docket No. FAA-2005-20748  Flight
control system safety
Summary of Situation: Airbus Model A310 and A300-600 airplanes.  Perform detail
visual and tap test inspections of the rudder.  This is an outgrowth of the
rudder lost March 6 on an Air Transat A310 (see ASW, March 21). The A310 and
A300-600 have the same rudder. So do some early model A330 and A340 aircraft,
but none are in U.S. registry.
Action Date & Comments: AD effective March 28 to perform the inspections within
three months. Comments due May 27.  Airbus' All Operators Telex (AOT), one for
the A310 and the other for the A300-600, both issued March 16, apply.  Action is
taken "to prevent detachment of the rudder from the airplane."  FAA action
emulates that of the French Direction Generale de l'Aviation Civile.  This is
considered interim action, pending compilation of inspection reports.

Date posted on  Federal Register: March 30  Notice of proposed rulemaking
(NPRM), proposing to adopt new AD  FR Doc 05-6254 Docket No. FAA-2005-20757
Fire safety
Summary of Situation: BAE Systems Model BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ airplanes.  The
AD was prompted by a determination that the temperature of the skin of the
auxiliary power unit (APU) exhaust duct is higher than the certificated maximum
temperature for this area, presenting the potential for igniting fuel or
hydraulic fluid, which could leak from pipes running through the bay. The bay is
not a designated fire zone, therefore is not equipped with fire detection and
suppression. Moreover, ventilation is low around the APU exhaust duct,
aggravating the potential for heat buildup. Therefore, insulation must be
installed.
Action Date & Comments: Comments due April 29. Accomplish within six months.
FAA action emulates that of the UK's Civil Aeronautics Authority and mandates
compliance with a manufacturers service bulletin of Oct. 11, 2004.  The work is
estimated to cost $3,800 per airplane. Action affects about 65 airplanes in U.S.
registry.  (Recall that air conditioning ducts running through the pack bar area
on the B747 are uninsulated, radiating heat into the pack bar area.)

Date posted on  Federal Register: March 31  Final rule, transmitting AD 2005-07-
08  FR Doc 05-6259 Docket No. FAA-2004-18876  Flight control system safety
Summary of Situation: Boeing Model B757-200 series airplanes. This AD is to
prevent delamination of the wing leading edge slats, possible loss of the
trailing edge wedge assembly during flight, leading to reduced maneuver and
stall margins. Prompted by report of damage to the No. 4 leading edge slat.  AD
requires tap tests for this composite material, the same as for the Airbus
above.
Action Date & Comments: AD is effective May 5; complete the tap tests within 18
months.  Operators have a choice of doing the tap tests every 18 months, or
replacing trailing edge assemblies with new ones, in accordance with a Boeing
alert service bulletin of June 26, 2003.  Action affects 139 planes worldwide.

Source: U.S. Federal Register

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