Significant Regulatory Activity

Air Safety Week,  Sept 26, 2005  

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Note the broad mix of actions dealing with structural, engine, fuel, electrical and safety of exit doors. Note also the non-airplane related but nonetheless important actions concerning the sevice difficulty report (SDR) system, false statements regarding parts going in airplanes, and the provisions regarding the advanced qualification program (AQP) for aircrew training.

Action & Date Posted in the Federal Register

Sept. 12

Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)

FR Doc 05-17979

Docket No. FAA-2005-22383

Structural safety

Summary of Situation

Boeing 747-100B, 747-200B, 747-300, 747-400 and 747-400D airplanes, models that have a stretched upper deck.

Requires inspection and corrective actions to prevent cracking of the tension ties, shear webs, and frames of the upper deck, which if not corrected could result in rapid decompression of the airplane.

Action Date & Comments

Comments due Oct. 27.

Based on reports of severed tension ties.

Action is considered interim; manufacturer is developing a modification.

Cost is about $5,300 for what's called a Stage 2 inspection, which ends the Stage 1 repetitive inspections.

Affects 622 airplanes in the worldwide fleet, of which 76 are in U.S. registry.

Action & Date Posted in the Federal Register

Sept. 12

NPRM

FR Doc 05-17980

Docket No. FF-2005-22384

Structural safety

Summary of Situation

Airbus A300-600 and A310 airplanes.

Requires eddy current inspections for cracks in stiffener fittings, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the floor.

Action Date & Comments

Comments due Oct. 12.

Based on reports of cracks due to the combined effect of the pressurization of the cabin and bending induced by thermal effects, which cause a high level of fatigue in the fitting. This proposed airworthiness directive (AD) would not permit flight if cracks are detected.

Cost estimated at $3,700 to $4,100 per airplane.

Affects 202 airplanes in U.S. registry.

Action & Date Posted in the Federal Register

Sept. 12

Final rule

FR Doc 05-17979

Docket No. 2001-NE-17-AD

AD 2005-01-15R1

Engine safety

Summary of Situation

Rolls-Royce RB211 Trent engines.

Revises AD issued Jan. 13 by clarifying the terminating action.

Requires action to prevent multiple low pressure compressor (LPC) fan blade failures due to cracks, which could lead to uncontained engine failure.

Action Date & Comments

AD effective Oct. 17.

Clarifies situation by saying that all blades in a set need not be replaced, but rather just those blades that meet the replacement criteria.

Cost estimated at $17,400 per engine.

Affects 350 engines in worldwide service, of which 90 are installed on aircraft of U.S. registry.

Action & Date Posted in the Federal Register

Sept. 13

Final rule

FR Doc 05-17889

Docket No. FAA-2005-21239

AD 2005-18-22

Engine safety

Summary of Situation

Raytheon Premier I 390 airplanes.

Requires installation of a kit in the left and right hand powerplants to correct chafing of electrical wires and fluid hoses to prevent leaking of flammable fluids near an ignition source.

Action Date & Comments

AD effective Nov. 14.

FAA determined that the cause of the unsafe condition relates to design and quality control.

Cost about $2,800 per airplane.

Affects 74 airplanes in U.S. registry.

Action & Date Posted in the Federal Register

Sept. 13

Final rule, request for comments

FR Doc 05-17890

Docket No. FAA-2005-22332

AD 2005-18-21

Flight control safety

Summary of Situation

Raytheon 1900, 1900C and 1900D twin-turboprop commuter airplanes.

Requires inspection and correction of looseness in the elevator hinge support attachments, which could result in binding of the elevator and loss of control of the airplane.

Action Date & Comments

AD effective Sept. 13 (in other words, effective on the date of issuance, indicating urgency of the problem.)

Based on an event in a 1900D involving a binding elevator and control column, and loose rivets were found afterward.

Cost and number of aircraft not specified, but inspection and corrective action to be accomplished before further flight.

Action & Date Posted in the Federal Register

Sept. 14

NPRM

FR Doc 05-18211

Docket No. FAA-2005-22411

Safety of exit doors

Summary of Situation

Airbus A300-600 and A310 airplanes.

Requires replacing the existing cabin altitude indicator in the cabin pressure control with a new, improved model to prevent forcible opening of the passenger door while aircraft is still pressurized. In this event, doors rapidly open and can cause injury.

Action Date & Comments

Comments due Oct. 14.

Existing cabin altitude pressure indicator can give a false indication of cabin altitude, as it does not indicate residual pressure in the cabin.

Recall that a flight attendant was killed when the door was sprung open and in the escaping rush of air he was hurled across the tarmac to his death (see ASW, Aug. 19, 2002). The danger was recently the subject of an FAA special airworthiness information bulletin (SAIB), which reiterated the potential hazard (see ASW, Aug. 8).