AD 2012-11-09 R1

AD Final Rules - 2012-11-09 R1.pdf
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AD Number:
2012-11-09 R1
Document Type:
AD Final Rules
Docket Number:
FAA-2015-2962
Subject Heading:
Airworthiness Directives; Various Transport Category Airplanes
Subject:
Oxygen
Status:
Current
Citation:
Federal Register Volume 80, Number 143 (Monday, July 27, 2015)
Citation Publish Date:
07/27/2015
Effective Date:
07/27/2015
Make:
Transport Category Airplanes
Model:
Chemical oxygen generator
Product Type:
Appliance
Product Subtype:
Affected AD:
Superseded AD:
2012-11-09
Affected By:
Superseded By:
Service/Office:
Office of Primary Responsibility:
CFR Part Reference:
Part 39
Comments:
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[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 143 (Monday, July 27, 2015)]


[Rules and Regulations]


[Pages 44259-44262]


From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[FR Doc No: 2015-18155]


––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION


Federal Aviation Administration


14 CFR Part 39


[Docket No. FAA-2015-2962; Directorate Identifier 2015-NM-071-AD; Amendment 39-18221;


AD 2012-11-09 R1]


RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Various Transport Category Airplanes


AGENCY:
 
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.


ACTION:
 
Final rule; request for comments.


––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


SUMMARY:
 
We are revising Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2012-11-09 for certain transport


category airplanes. AD 2012-11-09 required either activating all chemical oxygen generators in the


lavatories until the generator oxygen supply is expended, or removing the oxygen generator(s); and,


for each chemical oxygen generator, after the generator is expended (or removed), removing or


restowing the oxygen masks and closing the mask dispenser door. AD 2012-11-09 also required


installing a supplemental oxygen system in affected lavatories, which terminated the requirements of


AD 2012-11-09. This AD clarifies a certain restriction by providing a broader method of compliance.


This AD was prompted by the discovery that the requirement to change the instructions for continued


airworthiness under certain conditions may impose an unnecessary burden on operators. We are


issuing this AD to eliminate a hazard that could jeopardize flight safety, and to ensure that all


lavatories have a supplemental oxygen supply.


DATES:
 
This AD is effective July 27, 2015.


We must receive any comments on this AD by September 10, 2015.


ADDRESSES:
 
You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 11.43 and 11.45, by


any of the following methods:


•
 
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for


submitting comments.


•
 
Fax: 202-493-2251.


•
 
Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground


Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
2


•
 
Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building


Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590,


between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.


Examining the AD Docket


You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for


and locating Docket No. FAA-2015-2962; or in person at the Docket Management Facility between 9


a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD docket contains this AD,


the regulatory evaluation, any comments received, and other information. The street address for the


Docket Office (phone: 800-647-5527) is in the ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available in


the AD docket shortly after receipt.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
 
Jeff Gardlin, Aerospace Engineer, Airframe and


Cabin Safety Branch, ANM-115, FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW.,


Renton, WA 98057-3356; phone: 425-227-2136; fax: 425-227-1149; email: jeff.gardlin@faa.gov.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:


Discussion


On May 23, 2012, we issued AD 2012-11-09, Amendment 39-17072 (77 FR 38000, June 26,


2012), for certain transport category airplanes. AD 2012-11-09 superseded AD 2011-04-09,


Amendment 39-16630 (76 FR 12556, March 8, 2011). AD 2012-11-09 required either activating all


chemical oxygen generators in the lavatories until the generator oxygen supply is expended, or


removing the oxygen generator(s); and, for each chemical oxygen generator, after the generator is


expended (or removed), removing or restowing the oxygen masks and closing the mask dispenser


door. AD 2012-11-09 also required installing a supplemental oxygen system in affected lavatories,


which terminated the requirements of AD 2011-04-09. AD 2012-11-09 was prompted by reports that


the design of the oxygen generators presented a hazard that could jeopardize flight safety. We issued


AD 2012-11-09 to eliminate a hazard that could jeopardize flight safety, and to ensure that all


lavatories have a supplemental oxygen supply.


Actions Since Issuance of AD 2012-11-09, Amendment 39-17072 (77 FR 38000, June 26, 2012)


Since we issued AD 2012-11-09, Amendment 39-17072 (77 FR 38000, June 26, 2012), we have


discovered that a certain requirement might have imposed an unnecessary burden on Boeing and


operators. Paragraph (l)(2) of AD 2012-11-09 required adding ‘‘an airworthiness limitation that


prohibits the installation of chemical oxygen generators in lavatories'' to the operator's maintenance


program, if compliance with AD 2012-11-09 was shown without a chemical oxygen generator. The


intent of this provision was to have a mechanism in place in the operators' maintenance programs that


prevents the inadvertent reinstallation of a chemical oxygen generator in a lavatory.


That use of the term ‘‘airworthiness limitation'' could be interpreted as the Airworthiness


Limitations section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA), as required by section


25.1529 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 25.1529). While that is an acceptable method


of compliance, the FAA did not intend to compel that specific method of compliance. We have


therefore revised paragraph (l)(2) of this AD to remove the ‘‘airworthiness limitation'' restriction and


to instead prohibit installation of a chemical oxygen generator in a lavatory. We are issuing this AD


to correct the unsafe condition on certain transport category airplanes.