Airworthiness Directives; Aerospace & Defense Oxygen Systems SaS (Part of Safran Aerosystems) (Formerly Known as Air Liquide)

<RULE> DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION <SUBAGY>Federal Aviation Administration</SUBAGY> <CFR>14 CFR Part 39</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. FAA-2025-5041; Project Identifier MCAI-2025-01620-Q; Amendment 39-23210; AD 2025-25-02]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2120-AA64</RIN> <SUBJECT>Airworthiness Directives; Aerospace & Defense Oxygen Systems SaS (Part of Safran Aerosystems) (Formerly Known as Air Liquide)</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule; request for comments. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all aircraft equipped with certain Aerospace & Defense Oxygen Systems SaS portable breathing equipment (PBE). This AD was prompted by reports of occurrences of incorrect usage of certain PBEs. This AD requires incorporating revised procedures for donning the PBE. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This AD is effective December 24, 2025. The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of December 24, 2025. The FAA must receive comments on this AD by January 23, 2026. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods: • <E T="03">Federal eRulemaking Portal:</E> Go to <E T="03">regulations.gov.</E> Follow the instructions for submitting comments. • <E T="03">Fax:</E> 202-493-2251. • <E T="03">Mail:</E> U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. • <E T="03">Hand Delivery:</E> Deliver to Mail address above between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. <E T="03">AD Docket:</E> You may examine the AD docket at <E T="03">regulations.gov</E> under Docket No. FAA-2025-5041; 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. <E T="03">Material Incorporated by Reference:</E> • For Safran Aerosystems material identified in this AD, contact Safran Aerosystems, Customer Support & Services, Technical Publication Department, 61 Rue Pierre Curie, CS20001, 78373 Plaisir Cedex, France; phone + 33 (0)1 61 34 23 23; email <E T="03">tech-support.sao@safrangroup.com;</E> website <E T="03">www.safran-aerosystems.com.</E> • 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 <E T="03">regulations.gov</E> under Docket No. FAA-2025-5041. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Harjot Rana, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; phone: 516-228-7344; email: <E T="03">9-AVS-AIR-BACO-COS@faa.gov.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Comments Invited</HD> The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or arguments about this final rule. Send your comments using a method listed under the <E T="02">ADDRESSES</E> section. Include “Docket No. FAA-2025-5041; Project Identifier MCAI-2025-01620-Q” 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 information as described in 14 CFR 11.35, the FAA will post all comments received, without change, to <E T="03">regulations.gov</E> , including any personal information you provide. The agency will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact received about this final rule. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Confidential Business Information</HD> 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 Harjot Rana, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; phone: 516-228-7344; email: <E T="03">9-AVS-AIR-BACO-COS@faa.gov.</E> Any commentary that the FAA receives which is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this rulemaking. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Background</HD> The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, has issued EASA AD 2025-0222, dated October 13, 2025 (EASA AD 2025-0222) (also referred to as the MCAI), to correct an unsafe condition on Aerospace & Defense Oxygen Systems SaS (part of Safran Aerosystems) (formerly Air Liquide) PBE, part number (P/N) 15-40F-11 and P/N 15-40F-80, all serial numbers. The MCAI states that occurrences of incorrect usage of PBE have been reported. This condition, if not corrected, could lead to flight or cabin crewmember incapacitation, possibly affecting crewmember capability to accomplish tasks during an emergency, or resulting in fatal injury to that crewmember. Relevant investigations identified that the PBE operational manual provides instructions that can be misunderstood by a flight or cabin crewmember, possibly leading to errors while donning the PBE. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at <E T="03">regulations.gov</E> under Docket No. FAA-2025-5041. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Material Incorporated by Reference Under 1 CFR Part 51</HD> The FAA reviewed Safran Aerosystems Service Bulletin 1540F-35-001, dated October 10, 2025. This material clarifies procedures for the proper donning of PBE P/N 15-40F-11 and P/N 15-40F-80 to prevent adverse effects from non-activation of the oxygen system, with additional warnings against inserting hands into the packaging and ensuring only the black neck seal is grabbed to avoid damage. The donning process includes detailed steps on deploying the hood and emphasizes the importance of hearing the oxygen flow noise immediately after donning. 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 <E T="02">ADDRESSES</E> section. <HD SOURCE="HD1">FAA's Determination</HD> 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 and material 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. <HD SOURCE="HD1">AD Requirements</HD> This AD requires incorporating revised procedures for donning certain PBE into the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable (for transport category airplanes); into maintenance records (for non-transport category aircraft that must comply with 14 CFR 91.417(a)(2) or 135.439(a)(2)); or into the existing approved maintenance or inspection program, as applicable (for other non-transport category aircraft). For non-transport category aircraft: The owner/operator (pilot) holding at least a private pilot certificate may perform the required action for that aircraft provided compliance with the applicable paragraph of this AD is entered into the aircraft maintenance records in accordance with 14 CFR 43.9(a) and 91.417(a)(2)(v). The pilot may perform this action because it only involves incorporating revised procedures for donning the PBE. This action could be performed equally well by a pilot or a mechanic. This is an exception to the FAA's standard maintenance regulations. <HD SOURCE="HD1">Justification for Immediate Adoption and Determination of the Effective Date</HD> Section 553(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 551 <E T="03">et seq.</E> ) 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. An unsafe condition exists that requires the immediate adoption of this AD without providing an opportunity for public comments prior to adoption. 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