Federal Aviation Administration February 22, 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Textron Aviation Inc. Model 560XL airplanes. This AD requires inspections of the fuel tube and right alternating current (AC) generator wires. This AD was prompted by reports of inadequate separation between the electrical wire bundle and fuel tube. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We propose to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2014-20- 09 for certain Bombardier, Inc. Model DHC-8-400 series airplanes. AD 2014-20-09 currently requires an inspection for missing clamps that are required to provide positive separation between the alternating current (AC) feeder cables and the hydraulic line of the landing gear alternate extension, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. Since we issued AD 2014-20-09, it was determined that certain airplane serial numbers are not subject to the identified unsafe condition. This proposed AD would remove airplanes from the AD applicability. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2012-22-12 for all Airbus Model A330-243, -243F, -341, -342, and -343 airplanes. AD 2012-22-12 required inspecting piccolo tubes and mount links, the aft side of the forward bulkhead, and outer boundary angles (OBAs); and doing corrective actions if necessary. This new AD retains certain requirements of AD 2012-22-12, and adds inspections of certain areas of the forward bulkhead, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This AD was prompted by reports of cracking of air intake cowls, worn and detached attachment links, fractured thermal anti-ice (TAI) piccolo tubes, and loose or missing attachment rivets of the inner boundary angles (IBAs) and OBAs of the forward bulkhead. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2012-16-08 for certain BAE Systems (Operations) Limited Model BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ series airplanes. AD 2012-16-08 required repetitive inspections for bulging, surface anomalies, and cracking of the fuselage skin adjacent to the discharge valves, and repair and application of additional sealant in the affected area if necessary. This new AD retains the requirements of AD 2012-16-08, expands the applicability, and requires an additional one-time inspection for the presence of water traps/air driers to determine which airplanes must be inspected. This AD was prompted by reports of cracking and surface anomalies of the fuselage skin at the water trap/air drier unit of the forward discharge valve due to corrosion, and the determination that airplanes on which a certain auto-pressurization modification was incorporated during production were excluded from the applicability of AD 2012-16-08, but are also affected by this condition. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.