Airworthiness Directives - faahelisafety.orgfaahelisafety.org/.../11/Airworthiness-Directives.pdf · Airworthiness Directive 2 What is an Airworthiness Directive (AD)? A legally enforceable

Presented to:

By:

Date:

Federal AviationAdministration

Airworthiness Directives

International Rotorcraft Safety Conference

Maria Garcia

October 25, 2018


Airworthiness Directive

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What is an Airworthiness Directive (AD)?

A legally enforceable rule issued in accordance with 14 CFR part 39. An AD is issued when:

• There is an unsafe condition on a product (i.e., an aircraft, engine, propeller, or appliance) and

• The unsafe condition is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same type design.



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How do we determine AD action is necessary?

• Our Aviation Safety Engineers (ASE) monitor products (Transport Category Airplanes, Small Airplanes, Rotorcraft, or Engines and Propellers) for unsafe conditions through service difficulty reports, accidents, incidents, or safety recommendations.



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How do we determine AD action is necessary (continued)? • ASE monitors products manufactured in other

countries that are approved for use in the U.S. and initiate ADs for those products if necessary.

• Foreign entities (e.g., Transport Canada, European Aviation Safety Agency) notify us that they’ve issued an AD and an ASE determines if AD action is warranted in the U.S.



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How do we determine AD action is necessary (continued)?

• Type certificate holders notify us of a failure, malfunction, or defect in any product which they manufacture (14 CFR 21.3 explains this responsibility).


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Aircraft owners and operators are responsible for ensuring compliance with all AD requirements for their aircraft. Anyone who operates an aircraft that doesn’t meet these requirements is in violation of 14 CFR 39.7.

This presentation explains the AD process and gives you information for receiving and commenting on ADs.



Airworthiness Directives

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What types of ADs do we issue?

1. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) followed by a Final Rule

2. Final rule; Request for Comments (FRC)

3. Emergency AD


NRPM followed by Final Rule

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Our standard process is to issue an NPRM. The NPRM:

• Describes the unsafe condition,

• Proposes corrective actions,

• Includes costs for the proposed corrective actions, and

• Asks for public comments.


NRPM followed by Final Rule

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After the comment period closes we:

• Issue a final rule that mandates the proposed actions and address any comments; or

• Reopen the comment period if comments or additional information warrant changing the proposed costs or corrective actions.


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Final rule; request for CommentThis is an exception to the standard process. The FRC:• Due to a criticality of the unsafe

condition (which is described in the AD), is issued without prior notice or opportunity for comments,

• Is typically effective within 15 days after publication in the Federal Register,


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Final rule; request for Comment

• Requires corrective actions within a short compliance time (typically within 15 hours).

• Includes costs for the required corrective actions.

• Asks for public comments.


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Final rule; request for Comment

After the comment period closes, we will address any comments received and revise or supersede the AD, if necessary.


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Emergency AD• Requires immediate corrective action

(typically before further flight).

• Does not includes costs for the required corrective actions.

• Does not ask for public comments.

• Does not have to be published in the Federal Register to be effective; sent directly to known owners and operators.


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Emergency AD• Is published as an FRC in the Federal

Register as soon as possible (within 30 days).


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AD ProcessWhat is the process for issuing an AD?

ASE Completes a Worksheet

Writer/Editor Drafts AD (NPRM)

AD Team Reviews Draft & Makes Changes

if Needed

NPRM Issued & Published in

the Federal Register

AD Information Loaded into

Docket

Comment Period Closes

& ASE Addresses any

Comments

Writer/Editor Drafts Final

Rule

Final Rule Issued &

Published in Federal Register


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AD ProcessWho is involved in the AD Process?

• For AD drafting and issuance, the FAA AD team typically consists of an ASE and ASE’s manager, AD Coordinator, Technical Writer, Rotorcraft Standards Branch Manager, Attorney, Aircraft Certification Service Manager, and members from Aircraft Evaluation Group and/or Manufacturing Inspection District Office, Manufacturing Inspection Office, or Certificate Management Office (if applicable).

• We also rely on comments from the public and encourage them to submit comments during the comment period at regulations.gov.


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AD ProcessWhat causes delays in the AD Process?• Service instructions are not clear or are not legally enforceable.

• Not knowing the cause of an unsafe condition – may issue an Emergency AD to require immediate inspections while we continue to investigate an issue and then follow-up with another AD when terminating action is determined.


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AD ProcessWhat causes delays in the AD Process? (continued)•Coordination and review cycle (board meetings used to expedite AD issuance).

•Publishing requirements or our own requirements are not met (FRRC with actions that don’t meet no-notice requirements).


AD Notification – Regulatory and Guidance Library/Govdelivery (RGL)

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You can subscribe to be notified when ADs are issued at the FAA’s RGL website. To subscribe to this service, follow the instructions on the next page.

* Note that this service doesn’t provide notification of NPRMs nor does it allow you to provide comments to NPRMs.

** Regulations.gov is the preferred method for comments.


RGL Subscription Instructions

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1. Go to http://rgl.faa.gov

2. Click on the link "Subscribe for e-mail delivery of ADs and SAIBs"

3. Enter your e-mail address, then click the "Go" button. If this is your first time to sign in, you will be prompted to confirm your e-mail address, and decide whether or not you want to password-protect your account. Click the "Save" button after you've entered the information.

4. You should now see a page that contains some instructions at the top followed by a set of bolded subscription categories that looks like this:

5. For each product you wish to subscribe to, perform the following:

a. Click the '+' next to the product category.

b. Click the '+' next to the type certificate holder.

c. Click the empty checkbox next to the product to put a check in it.

d. Scroll up then click the '-' next to the product category you chose in step 1 – this will keep the list to a manageable size.

Note: Remember to subscribe to your engine and propeller.

6. Scroll to the bottom then click the "Save" button.


AD Notification – Office of the Federal Register (OFR)

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The OFR also has a subscription service. This service does not provide notification of Emergency ADs, but does include notification of NPRMs. You can subscribe for this service by signing-up at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USGPOOFR/subscriber/new.

https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USGPOOFR/subscriber/new


AD Notification – OFR

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The OFRs subscription service:

• Emails you the daily Federal Register’s Table of Contents. This includes links to Proposed and Final Rules.

• Allows you to filter which types of notifications you receive (e.g., only send documents matching “Bell”).


AD Notification – Regulations.gov

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AD dockets for AD actions issued after 2003 are located at www.Regulations.gov. The docket contains information that supports the AD action. For example:

• ADs issued by an international civil aviation authority,

• Records of ex parte contacts,

http://www.regulations.gov/


AD Notification – Regulations.gov

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• Service Information,

• Regulatory Evaluation Form,

• Comments Received, or

• Disposition of Comments Received on FRRCs that Don’t Result in a Change to an AD.


Regulations.gov Services

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In addition to housing our Dockets, Regulations.gov:

• Allows you to search for AD actions in Several Ways (by Product ID, Docket Number, AD number, Make/Model, etc.),

• Allows you to comment on AD actions,

• Allows you to track Dockets by signing up for email alerts.


Regulations.gov Subscription Instructions

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Regulations.gov SubscriptionInstructions

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Contact Information

Maria Garcia, AD Coordinator, Rotorcraft Standards BranchEmail: [email protected]: (817) 222-5160

FAA AD Website: https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/airworthiness_directives/

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https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/airworthiness_directives/

Documents

Airworthiness Directives - faahelisafety.orgfaahelisafety.org/.../11/Airworthiness-Directives.pdf · Airworthiness Directive 2 What is an Airworthiness Directive (AD)? A legally enforceable