ATR airlines: Inspect those wings extra hard, FAA says
Published Date: 2/24/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
The FAA wants to update safety rules for certain ATR72 airplanes by adding stricter maintenance checks. This means airlines must follow new inspection schedules to keep these planes safe. Comments on this proposal are open until April 10, 2025, and these changes could affect maintenance costs and schedules.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Operators must revise ATR72 maintenance programs
If you operate ATR--GIE Avions de Transport R[eacute]gional Model ATR72-101, -102, -201, -202, -211, -212, or -212A airplanes, you must revise your existing maintenance or inspection program to incorporate the new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations specified in EASA AD 2024-0159. This FAA proposal requires that the maintenance/inspection program be revised within 90 days after the effective date of this AD, and initial task compliance times are either the applicable ‘‘limitations’’ and ‘‘associated thresholds’’ or within 90 days after the effective date, whichever occurs later.
Estimated compliance cost per operator: $7,650
The FAA estimates this proposed AD would affect 40 U.S.-registered ATR72 airplanes and that revising the maintenance or inspection program takes an average of 90 work-hours per operator. The FAA estimates the average total cost per operator to be $7,650 (90 work-hours × $85 per work-hour).
Fixes oxygen mask release safety risk
The FAA proposes this AD to address a failure risk in the chemical oxygen mask release system that could prevent masks from releasing when needed, possibly causing injury to passengers and crew. The AD would require the new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations intended to reduce that safety risk on the specified ATR72 models.
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