Airworthiness Directives

Reading one of the many aviation news outlets this week an issue caught my attention. The Federal Register, dated April 14, 2011/Proposed Rules contains a notice by the FAA they are considering issuing a legal interpretation on various provisions in 14 CFR Part 39 relating to Airworthiness Directives (AD). The FAA’s Organization and Procedures Working Group of the AD Implementation Aviation Rulemaking Committee has requested this legal interpretation in order to help resolve a number of issues being debated within the working group. This notice in the Federal Register is two and a half pages in length containing some detailed language describing several of the individual AD rules, the debate, and what the clarification or legal interpretation is proposed. Some of the questions the Working Group seeks interpretation on have to do with AD Continuing Obligation, Additional Actions, Use of the Term “Applicableâ€, and Impossibility. AD compliance as we all know can be complex and new legal interpretation of parts of the rule may be a subject some people want to keep an eye on. If you are involved in complex AD compliance systems or would like to know more about the issue visit www.regulations.gov and follow the prompts and instructions for sending an electronic comment. The docket number is FAA-2010-1167. Comments must be received by May 16, 2011.