Editor's
Note: In light of all the recent discussion surrounding
Aging Aircraft issues, the FAA has issued its Fact Sheet on
the agency's Aging Aircraft Program. The complete report follows
below:
Background
The FAA’s Aging Airplane Program for transport airplanes
includes several regulatory initiatives related to structural
fatigue and corrosion as well as aging systems or
‘wiring.’
Three major factors prompted the FAA’s actions:
- Airplanes are being operated beyond original design service
goals.
- Original maintenance plans were not required to address
potential age-related issues.
- 1988 Aloha accident.
The agency revised the program in response to the Aging Airplane
Safety Act of 1991, the 1996 TWA 800 accident, and the 1998 Swiss
Air accident. The Aging Transport Non-Structural Systems program
began in October 1998 and is modeled after the very successful
aging structures program that’s been ongoing since August
1988.
By working with industry, the FAA has achieved safety gains that
address aging issues, including: a voluntary fuel tank inspection
survey, voluntary implementation of maintenance actions to address
both aging structural and wiring issues, and workshops and training
seminars.
Airworthiness Directives
The FAA has issued more
than 700 Airworthiness Directives (ADs) to address specific safety
concerns or ‘unsafe conditions’ on specific airplane
types. Separately, the agency continues to promote far reaching
safety measures through general rulemaking that provide a safety
net beneath the ADs already mandated.
Of the more than 700 ADs already issued:
- more than 540 ADs were for airplane structural issues since
1990,
- more than 85 ADs were for fuel tank safety issues since 1996,
and
- more than 110 ADs were for wiring safety issues since
1998.
Highlights of Aging Airplane and Wiring Rules
Enhanced Airworthiness Program for Airplane Systems
(EAPAS)
On September 22, 2005, the FAA issued a proposed rule for
transport airplanes carrying more than 30 passengers and having a
maximum payload of 7,500 lbs. or more. The proposal adopts enhanced
safety requirements for design, installation, and maintenance of
electrical wiring and fuel tank systems. It would also require
design approval holders to develop enhanced maintenance inspections
and tasks for fuel tank systems and electrical wiring system.
Operators would incorporate the enhanced inspections and task into
their maintenance programs.
Aging Airplane Safety Rule (AASR)
On January 25, 2005,
the FAA issued a final rule that requires repetitive inspections
and records reviews every seven years for all transport airplanes
older than 14 years to ensure that maintenance programs provide the
highest level of safety for age-sensitive structures. For certain
airplanes, operators must incorporate damage tolerance-based
inspections of certain airplane structures, including repairs,
alterations and modifications (RAMs) into their maintenance
programs.
Corrosion Prevention and Control Program (CPCP)
On August 16, 2004, the FAA withdrew a 2002 proposal related to
the Corrosion Prevention and Control Program (CPCP) because the
FAA’s safety objectives were being met without rulemaking.
The FAA determined that most CPCPs, either mandated by AD or
incorporated through new maintenance practices, were addressing the
issues covered in the proposed rule. The FAA will address any
remaining unsafe conditions, as necessary.
Fuel Tank Safety Rule (FTS)
On April 19, 2001, the
FAA issued a final rule that required design approval holders
(manufacturers and holders of other supplemental type certificates)
of large transport airplanes to perform an assessment of the fuel
tank systems and develop necessary design changes or maintenance
instructions. The final rule also required operators to add the new
maintenance instructions to their maintenance programs.
Repair Assessment Program Rule (RAP)
On April 19, 2000, the FAA issued a final rule that required
operators of certain transport airplanes certified before 1978 to
incorporate repair assessment guidelines for pressure areas such as
the fuselage skin, door skin, and bulkhead webs into maintenance
programs. The guidelines use damage tolerance to evaluate
repairs.
Widespread Fatigue Damage (WFD)
The FAA is developing a proposal to require design approval
holders to develop an operational limit and substantiate the WFD
will not occur prior to airplanes reaching that limit. The proposal
would also require operators to incorporate those operational
limits into their fleets. Publication is expected this spring.
Aging Airplane Safety Rule (AASR) – Design Approval
Holder Requirements
The FAA is developing a proposal to require design approval
holders to develop damage tolerance-based maintenance inspections
to support operator compliance with the AASR final rule.
Publication is expected this spring.
Latest News
In July 2004, the FAA
published a notice to inform the public of our intent to align the
requirements of current FAA rules and proposals for aging airplane
structures, wiring and fuel tank systems, where appropriate. That
notice also discussed the agency’s intent to propose
requirements for design approval holders to develop data and the
documents needed by operators to modify their airplanes and
maintenance programs. This alignment would ensure that operators
have the information they need to comply with the FAA’s rules
and would allow them to take a more cohesive approach to aircraft
maintenance. There is a reduced risk of damage occurring during
maintenance because operators can perform more required maintenance
actions at the same time. This would reduce the need to expose
interior structures for separate maintenance tasks. There is also a
potential $200 million savings to operators through more efficient
planning of maintenance programs and less “down time”
for aircraft.
In July 2005, the FAA published a summary policy statement
regarding the FAA’s intent to propose requirements for design
approval holders and a disposition of comments in response to the
July 2004 notice.