Department of Transportation June 5, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Models PC-6, PC-6/350, PC-6/350-H1, PC-6/350-H2, PC-6/A, PC-6/A-H1, PC-6/A-H2, PC-6/B-H2, PC-6/B1-H2, PC-6/B2-H2, PC-6/ B2-H4, PC-6/C-H2, PC-6/C1-H2, PC-6-H1, and PC-6-H2 airplanes. 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 sheared or missing rivets on the horizontal stabilizer hinge bracket assemblies. The FAA is issuing this AD to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval of a new information collection. We published a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on March 27, 2019. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

These amended special conditions are issued for the Boeing Model 787-8 airplane. This amendment removes reference to leg-flail airbags and adds reference to leg-flail devices installed on side- facing seats. This airplane, as modified by Greenpoint Technologies, Inc. (Greenpoint), will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. This design feature is single-occupant, side-facing seats with airbag devices in shoulder belts, and a floor-level, leg-flail-prevention device to limit the axial rotation of the upper leg. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model A320-214 and -271N airplanes and Model A321- 211 and -231 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a test of a new wall partition for a certain cabin attendant seat model that revealed the backrest was permanently deformed and did not allow the seat pan to return to a full-up position; investigation results identified that a heat treatment had not been applied on certain backframes. This proposed AD would require modifying the affected cabin attendant seats, as specified in an European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which will be incorporated by reference. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus SAS Model A350-941 and -1041 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of disconnections of certain hinge arms of the bulk cargo door (BCD) due to disbonding of the hinge arm bushes. This proposed AD would require either modifying and re-identifying affected BCDs or replacing affected BCDs, as specified in an European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.