AD 2006-09-07 Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A330-200, A330-300, A340-200, and A340-300 Series Airplanes; and A340-541 and A340-642 Airplanes

Models named: A330-201, -202, -203, -223, -243. Read the applicability below — it usually turns on serial or part numbers too.

This AD applies to all Airbus Model A330-201, -202, -203, -223, and -243 airplanes; A330-301, -302, -303, -321, -322, -323, -341, -342, and -343 airplanes; A340-211, -212, and -213 airplanes; A340-311, -312, and -313 airplanes; A340-541 airplanes; and A340-642 airplanes; certificated in any category. Note 1: This AD requires revisions to certain operator maintenance documents to include new inspections. Compliance with these inspections is required by 14 CFR 91.403(c). For airplanes that have been previously modified, altered, or repaired in the areas addressed by these inspections, the operator may not be able to accomplish the inspections described in the revisions. In this situation, to comply with 14 CFR 91.403(c), the operator must request approval for an alternative method of compliance according to paragraph (h) of this AD. The request should include a description of changes to the required inspections that will ensure the continued damage tolerance of the affected structure. The FAA has provided guidance for this determination in Advisory Circular 25-1529.

You are responsible for having the actions required by this AD performed within the compliance times specified, unless the actions have already been done. Airworthiness Limitations Revision (f) Within 3 months after the effective date of this AD, revise the Airworthiness Limitations section (ALS) of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness by incorporating into the ALS the documents in paragraph (f)(1) and (f)(2) of this AD, as applicable. (1) Airbus Document AI/SE-M4/95A.0089/97, “A330 Airworthiness Limitations Items,” Issue 12, dated November 1, 2003, as specified in Section 9-2 of the Airbus A330 MPD. (2) Section 9-1, “Life limits/Monitored parts,” Revision 05, dated April 7, 2005, of the Airbus A330 and A340 MPDs. (g) Except as provided by paragraph (h) of this AD: After the actions in paragraph (f) of this AD have been accomplished, no alternative inspections or inspection intervals may be approved for the structural elements specified in the documents listed in paragraph (f) of this AD. Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs) (h)(1) The Manager, International Branch, ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, has the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested in accordance with the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. (2) Before using any AMOC approved in accordance with § 39.19 on any airplane to which the AMOC applies, notify the appropriate principal inspector in the FAA Flight Standards Certificate Holding District Office. Related Information (i) French airworthiness directives F-2004-024, dated February 18, 2004; F-2005-069, dated April 27, 2005; and F-2005-070, dated April 27, 2005; also address the subject of this AD. Material Incorporated by Reference (j) You must use Airbus Document AI/SE-M4/95A.0089/97, “A330 Airworthiness Limitations Items,” Issue 12, dated November 1, 2003; Section 9-1, “Life limits/Monitored parts,” Revision 05, dated April 7, 2005, of the Airbus A330 Maintenance Planning Document; and Section 9-1, “Life limits/Monitored parts,” Revision 05, dated April 7, 2005, of the Airbus A340 Maintenance Planning Document; as applicable, to perform the actions that are required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise. (The document and issue number of Airbus Document AI/SE-M4/95A.0089/97 are contained only on the Title, Record of Revision, Summary of Changes, List of Effective Pages, Table of Contents, and Section 1 pages; no other page of this document contains this information. The revision number of Section 9-1 of the Airbus A330 Maintenance Planning Document and Section 9-1 of the Airbus A340 Maintenance Planning Document is contained only in the Record of Revisions page; no other page of these documents contains this information. The issue date on the title page of section 9-1 of the Airbus A340 Maintenance Planning Document should be “April 7, 2005.”) The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of these documents in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Contact Airbus, 1 Rond Point Maurice Bellonte, 31707 Blagnac Cedex, France, for a copy of this service information. You may review copies at the Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., room PL-401, Nassif Building, Washington, DC; on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov; or at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at the NARA, call (202) 741-6030, or go to http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. Issued in Renton, Washington, on April 20, 2006. Kalene C. Yanamura, Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. [FR Doc. 06-4051 Filed 5-2-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

This AD results from a revision to subsection 9-1 of the Airbus A330 and A340 Maintenance Planning Documents (MPD) for Life limits/Monitored parts, and subsection 9-2 of the Airbus A330 MPD for Airworthiness Limitations Items. We are issuing this AD to prevent fatigue cracking, damage, or corrosion, which could result in reduced structural integrity of these airplanes.