Federal Register #2026-18053

FAA Airworthiness Directive: Maintenance Program Update for ATR42-500 Aircraft

This notice announces a new airworthiness directive (AD) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for ATR-GIE Avions de Transport Régional ATR42-500 airplanes. - Government Buyer: - Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation - OEM Highlight: - ATR-GIE Avions de Transport Régional - Requirement Overview: - No procurement of products or services; this is a regulatory compliance action - Operators must revise their maintenance or inspection programs - Incorporate new airworthiness limitation related to ventilation electrical shut-off valves - Comply with European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2025-0135 - Perform repetitive operational tests of air conditioning shut-off valves - Notable Requirements: - Addresses inability to close ventilation electrical shut-off valves in case of annunciated smoke in a Class E cargo compartment - Aims to prevent suppressed fire from reigniting and propagating - No specific products, part numbers, or purchase quantities are requested; the focus is on programmatic revision and compliance with new maintenance actions

Description

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain ATR-GIE Avions de Transport Régional Model ATR42-500 airplanes. This AD requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program to incorporate a new airworthiness limitation to address the inability to close the ventilation electrical shut-off valves in case of annunciated smoke in a Class E cargo compartment. The unsafe condition could allow suppressed fire to reignite and further propagate, potentially resulting in an uncontrolled fire in the cargo compartment. The AD is effective September 18, 2026, and comments are requested by October 19, 2026.

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