Rule2026-07183
Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS Airplanes
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 14, 2026
Effective
April 29, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model A350-1041 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of a misalignment between a certain flap shaft and the catcher due to incorrect installation of the bracket supporting the catcher. This AD requires an inspection of affected parts and applicable corrective actions. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 71 (Tuesday, April 14, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 71 (Tuesday, April 14, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 19070-19073]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07183]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2026-3478; Project Identifier MCAI-2025-00934-T;
Amendment 39-23307; AD 2026-07-11]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Airbus SAS Airplanes
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final rule; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for
certain Airbus SAS Model A350-1041 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a
report of a misalignment between a certain flap shaft and the catcher
due to incorrect installation of the bracket supporting the catcher.
This AD requires an inspection of affected parts and applicable
corrective actions. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe
condition on these products.
DATES: This AD is effective April 29, 2026.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by
reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of April 29,
2026.
The FAA must receive comments on this AD by May 29, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR
11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a>. Follow
the instructions for submitting comments.
<bullet> Fax: 202-493-2251.
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> under
Docket No. FAA-2026-3478; or in person at Docket Operations between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD
docket contains this final rule, the mandatory continuing airworthiness
information (MCAI), any comments received, and other information. The
street address for Docket Operations is listed above.
Material Incorporated by Reference:
<bullet> For European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) material
identified in this AD, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668
Cologne, Germany; telephone +49 221 8999 000; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2c6d685f6c494d5f4d0249595e435c4d024959"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c08184b380a5a1b3a1eea5b5b2afb0a1eea5b5">[email protected]</span></a>.
You may find this material on the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu.
<bullet> You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness
Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des
Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this material at the
FAA, call 206-231-3195. It is also available at <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> under
Docket No. FAA-2026-3478.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nicholas Benson, Aviation Safety
Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; phone: 206-
231-3647; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#014f6862696e6d60722f492f43646f726e6f416760602f666e77"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1e50777d7671727f6d3056305c7b706d71705e787f7f30797168">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
The FAA invites you to send any written data, views, or arguments
about this final rule. Send your comments using a method listed under
the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2026-3478; Project
Identifier MCAI-2025-00934-T'' at the beginning of your comments. The
most helpful comments reference a specific portion of the final rule,
explain the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting
data. The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date
and may amend this final rule because of those comments.
Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in
the following paragraph, and other
[[Page 19071]]
information as described in 14 CFR 11.35, the FAA will post all
comments received, without change, to <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a>, including any
personal information you provide. The agency will also post a report
summarizing each substantive verbal contact received about this final
rule.
Confidential Business Information
CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily
and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public
disclosure. If your comments responsive to this AD contain commercial
or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that
you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to
this AD, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted
comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing
CBI as ``PROPIN.'' The FAA will treat such marked submissions as
confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public
docket of this AD. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to
Nicholas Benson, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th St.,
Des Moines, WA 98198; phone: 206-231-3647; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5917303a313635382a7711771b3c372a3637193f3838773e362f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="125c7b717a7d7e73613c5a3c50777c617d7c527473733c757d64">[email protected]</span></a>. Any commentary that the FAA receives which
is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public
docket for this rulemaking.
Background
EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the
European Union, has issued EASA AD 2025-0117, dated May 19, 2025 (EASA
AD 2025-0117) (also referred to as the MCAI), to correct an unsafe
condition for certain Airbus SAS Model A350-1041 airplanes. The MCAI
states that a misalignment between flap shaft F02 and the catcher was
reported during an inspection on the final assembly line. The root
cause is an incorrect installation of the bracket supporting the
catcher, which was mounted 180 degrees inverted, causing the flap shaft
F02 and catcher to be misaligned. This could lead to premature wear and
possible rupture of the flap shaft under specific loads. This
condition, if not addressed, could lead to a flap surface detachment,
resulting in reduced control of the airplane and parts detached from
the airplane, which could damage the airplane.
The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these
products.
You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> under
Docket No. FAA-2026-3478.
Material Incorporated by Reference Under 1 CFR Part 51
The FAA reviewed EASA AD 2025-0117, which specifies procedures for
performing a one-time detailed inspection to ensure the correct
installation of the bracket supporting the catcher on both the left-
and right-hand sides and applicable corrective actions. Corrective
actions include replacing the flap shaft and catcher, doing a detailed
inspection of the bracket and fastener holes for any discrepancy (any
scratch or wear mark), performing a rototest inspection and a
dimensional check of each fastener hole, and depending on findings,
replacing the bracket, or contacting Airbus for approved instructions
and accomplishing those instructions. This material is reasonably
available because the interested parties have access to it through
their normal course of business or by the means identified in the
ADDRESSES section.
FAA's Determination
These products have been approved by the civil aviation authority
of another country and are approved for operation in the United States.
Pursuant to the FAA's bilateral agreement with this State of Design
Authority, that authority has notified the FAA of the unsafe condition
described in the MCAI referenced above. The FAA is issuing this AD
after determining that the unsafe condition described previously is
likely to exist or develop on other products of the same type design.
Requirements of This AD
This AD requires accomplishing the actions specified in EASA AD
2025-0117 described previously, except for any differences identified
as exceptions in the regulatory text of this AD.
Explanation of Required Compliance Information
In the FAA's ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency of the AD
process, the FAA developed a process to use some civil aviation
authority (CAA) ADs as the primary source of information for compliance
with requirements for corresponding FAA ADs. The FAA has been
coordinating this process with manufacturers and CAAs. As a result,
EASA AD 2025-0117 is incorporated by reference in this AD. This AD
requires compliance with EASA AD 2025-0117 in its entirety through that
incorporation, except for any differences identified as exceptions in
the regulatory text of this AD. Using common terms that are the same as
the heading of a particular section in EASA AD 2025-0117 does not mean
that operators need comply only with that section. For example, where
the AD requirement refers to ``all required actions and compliance
times,'' compliance with this AD requirement is not limited to the
section titled ``Required Action(s) and Compliance Time(s)'' in EASA AD
2025-0117. Material required by EASA AD 2025-0117 for compliance will
be available at <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> under Docket No. FAA-2026-3478 after
this AD is published.
Justification for Immediate Adoption and Determination of the Effective
Date
Section 553(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C.
551 et seq.) authorizes agencies to dispense with notice and comment
procedures for rules when the agency, for ``good cause,'' finds that
those procedures are ``impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the
public interest.'' Under this section, an agency, upon finding good
cause, may issue a final rule without providing notice and seeking
comment prior to issuance. Further, section 553(d) of the APA
authorizes agencies to make rules effective in less than thirty days,
upon a finding of good cause.
There are currently no domestic operators of these products.
Accordingly, notice and opportunity for prior public comment are
unnecessary, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b). In addition, for the
foregoing reason(s), the FAA finds that good cause exists pursuant to 5
U.S.C. 553(d) for making this amendment effective in less than 30 days.
Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)
The requirements of the RFA do not apply when an agency finds good
cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 to adopt a rule without prior notice and
comment. Because the FAA has determined that it has good cause to adopt
this rule without notice and comment, RFA analysis is not required.
Costs of Compliance
Currently, there are no affected U.S.-registered airplanes. If an
affected airplane is imported and placed on the U.S. Register in the
future, the FAA provides the following cost estimates to comply with
this AD:
[[Page 19072]]
Estimated Costs for Required Actions
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Cost per
Labor cost Parts cost product
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1 work-hour x $85 per hour = $85...... $0 $85
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The FAA estimates the following costs to do any necessary on-
condition actions that would be required based on the results of any
required actions. The FAA has no way of determining the number of
aircraft that might need these on-condition actions:
Estimated Costs of On-Condition Actions
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Labor cost Parts cost Cost per product
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13 work-hours x $85 per hour = $1,105.... Up to $24,240..................... Up to $25,345.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
According to the manufacturer, some or all of the costs of this AD
may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on
affected individuals. The FAA does not control warranty coverage for
affected individuals. As a result, the FAA has included all known costs
in the cost estimate.
Authority for This Rulemaking
Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA's authority to
issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, section 106, describes the
authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII: Aviation Programs,
describes in more detail the scope of the Agency's authority.
The FAA is issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in
Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart III, Section 44701: General requirements.
Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with promoting safe flight
of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing regulations for
practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator finds necessary
for safety in air commerce. This regulation is within the scope of that
authority because it addresses an unsafe condition that is likely to
exist or develop on products identified in this rulemaking action.
Regulatory Findings
This AD will not have federalism implications under Executive Order
13132. This AD will not have a substantial direct effect on the States,
on the relationship between the national government and the States, or
on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the various
levels of government.
For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this AD:
(1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive
Order 12866, and
(2) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by
reference, Safety.
The Amendment
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the FAA amends 14 CFR part 39 as follows:
PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
0
1. The authority citation for part 39 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.
Sec. 39.13 [Amended]
0
2. The FAA amends Sec. 39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness
directive:
2026-07-11 Airbus SAS: Amendment 39-23307; Docket No. FAA-2026-3478;
Project Identifier MCAI-2025-00934-T.
(a) Effective Date
This airworthiness directive (AD) is effective April 29, 2026.
(b) Affected ADs
None.
(c) Applicability
This AD applies to Airbus SAS Model A350-1041 airplanes,
certificated in any category, as identified in European Union
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2025-0117, dated May 19, 2025 (EASA
AD 2025-0117).
(d) Subject
Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 53, Fuselage.
(e) Unsafe Condition
This AD was prompted by a report of a misalignment between a
flap shaft and the catcher due to incorrect installation of the
bracket supporting the catcher. The FAA is issuing this AD to
address premature wear and possible rupture of the flap shaft under
specific loads. This condition, if not addressed, could lead to a
flap surface detachment, resulting in reduced control of the
airplane and parts detached from the airplane, which could damage
the airplane.
(f) Compliance
Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified,
unless already done.
(g) Requirements
Except as specified in paragraphs (h) and (i) of this AD: Comply
with all required actions and compliance times specified in, and in
accordance with, EASA AD 2025-0117.
(h) Exceptions to EASA AD 2025-0117
(1) Where EASA AD 2025-0117 refers to its effective date, this
AD requires using the effective date of this AD.
(2) Where EASA AD 2025-0117 defines ``Affected parts'' and
refers to ``in the AOT'', this AD requires replacing that text with
``in Airbus Alert Operators Transmission (AOT) A53P018-25, dated
March 24, 2025''.
(3) Where paragraph (3) of EASA AD 2025-0117 specifies if ``any
discrepancy is detected, as defined in the AOT, before next flight,
contact Airbus for approved instructions and, within the compliance
time identified therein, accomplish those instructions
accordingly'', this AD requires replacing that text with ``any
discrepancy is detected, the discrepancy must be repaired before
further flight using a method approved by the Manager, AIR-520,
Continued Operational Safety Branch, FAA; or EASA; or Airbus SAS's
EASA Design Organization Approval (DOA). If approved by the DOA, the
approval must include the DOA-authorized signature''.
(4) This AD does not adopt the ``Remarks'' section of EASA AD
2025-0117.
(i) No Reporting Requirement
Although the material referenced in EASA AD 2025-0117 specifies
to submit certain information to the manufacturer, this AD does not
include that requirement.
[[Page 19073]]
(j) Additional AD Provisions
The following provisions also apply to this AD:
(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, AIR-
520, Continued Operational Safety Branch, FAA, has the authority to
approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using the procedures found
in 14 CFR 39.19. In accordance with 14 CFR 39.19, send your request
to your principal inspector or responsible Flight Standards Office,
as appropriate. If sending information directly to the manager of
the Continued Operational Safety Branch, send it to the attention of
the person identified in paragraph (k) of this AD and email to:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7f3e32303c3f191e1e51181009"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="aaebe7e5e9eacccbcb84cdc5dc">[email protected]</span></a>. Before using any approved AMOC, notify your
appropriate principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector,
the manager of the responsible Flight Standards Office.
(2) Contacting the Manufacturer: For any requirement in this AD
to obtain instructions from a manufacturer, the instructions must be
accomplished using a method approved by the Manager, AIR-520,
Continued Operational Safety Branch, FAA; or EASA; or Airbus SAS's
EASA Design Organization Approval (DOA). If approved by the DOA, the
approval must include the DOA-authorized signature.
(k) Additional Information
For more information about this AD, contact Nicholas Benson,
Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA
98198; phone: 206-231-3647; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#98d6f1fbf0f7f4f9ebb6d0b6dafdf6ebf7f6d8fef9f9b6fff7ee"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e5ab8c868d8a898496cbadcba7808b968a8ba5838484cb828a93">[email protected]</span></a>.
(l) Material Incorporated by Reference
(1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the
incorporation by reference (IBR) of the material listed in this
paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
(2) You must use this material as applicable to do the actions
required by this AD, unless this AD specifies otherwise.
(i) European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2025-0117,
dated May 19, 2025.
(ii) [Reserved]
(3) For EASA material identified in this AD, contact EASA,
Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; telephone +49 221
8999 000; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4e0f0a3d0e2b2f3d2f602b3b3c213e2f602b3b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c38287b083a6a2b0a2eda6b6b1acb3a2eda6b6">[email protected]</span></a>. You may find this material on
the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu.
(4) You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness
Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th St.,
Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this material
at the FAA, call 206-231-3195.
(5) You may view this material at the National Archives and
Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability
of this material at NARA, visit <a href="http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations">www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations</a> or email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#badcc894d3d4c9cadfd9ced3d5d4fad4dbc8db94ddd5cc"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6402164a0d0a17140107100d0b0a240a0516054a030b12">[email protected]</span></a>.
Issued on April 2, 2026.
Victor Wicklund,
Acting Director, Integrated Certificate Management Division, Aircraft
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-07183 Filed 4-13-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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