Department of Transportation May 22, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus Helicopters Model EC120B helicopters. This AD was prompted by a report of recurrent loss of tightening torque on several attachment bolts of the tail rotor hub body. This AD requires repetitive inspections of the tail rotor hub body for cracks and applicable corrective actions if necessary, and repetitive replacement of the attachment bolts, washers, and nuts of the tail rotor hub body. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2016-07- 28, which applied to all The Boeing Company Model DC-9-81 (MD-81), DC- 9-82 (MD-82), DC-9-83 (MD-83), and DC-9-87 (MD-87) airplanes, and Model MD-88 airplanes. AD 2016-07-28 required repetitive eddy current high frequency (ETHF) inspections for any cracking in the left and right side center wing lower skin, and repair if any crack was found. This AD continues to require repetitive ETHF inspections for any cracking in the left and right side center wing lower skin, and repair if any crack is found. This AD also requires expanding the inspection area to include adjacent stringers with similar stress levels and to perform repetitive inspections with increased sensitivity for crack detection. This AD was prompted by a report of a crack at a certain stringer not addressed by AD 2016-07-28, and cracks at certain other stringers and associated end fittings, and skins in the center wing fuel tank where the stringers meet the end fittings addressed by AD 2016-07-28. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model A330-202, -203, -223, -243, -301, -321, - 322, -323, -341, -342, and -343 airplanes; and Model A340-200 and -300 series airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report indicating that the allowable load limits on the vertical tail plane could be reached and possibly exceeded in cases of multiple rudder doublet inputs. This proposed AD would require upgrading the flight control data concentrator (FCDC), associated flight control primary computer (FCPC), and flight warning computer (FWC), and activation of the stop rudder input aural warning (SRIW) device, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which will be incorporated by reference. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.