[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 66 (Thursday, April 5, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 20572-20574]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-8128]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 66 / Thursday, April 5, 2012 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 20572]]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2012-0332; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-130-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; BAE Systems (Operations) Limited
Airplanes
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for
certain BAE SYSTEMS (OPERATIONS) LIMITED Model BAe 146 and Model Avro
146-RJ airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of cracking
and surface anomalies of the fuselage skin at the water trap/air drier
unit of the forward discharge valve due to corrosion. This proposed AD
would require repetitive detailed inspections for bulging, surface
anomalies, and cracking of the fuselage skin adjacent to the discharge
valves, repair if necessary, and application of additional sealant in
the affected area if necessary. We are proposing this AD to detect and
correct bulging, surface anomalies, and cracking that could propagate
towards the forward discharge valve outlet and result in the failure of
the fuselage skin, leading to a possible sudden loss of cabin pressure.
DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by May 21, 2012.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Fax: (202) 493-2251.
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.
Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
For service information identified in this proposed AD, contact BAE
SYSTEMS (Operations) Limited, Customer Information Department,
Prestwick International Airport, Ayrshire, KA9 2RW, Scotland, United
Kingdom; telephone +44 1292 675207; fax +44 1292 675704; email
[email protected]; Internet http://www.baesystems.com/Businesses/RegionalAircraft/index.htm. You may review copies of the
referenced service information at the FAA, Transport Airplane
Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington. For information
on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 425-227-1221.
Examining the AD Docket
You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov; or in person at the Docket Operations office
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. The AD docket contains this proposed AD, the regulatory
evaluation, any comments received, and other information. The street
address for the Docket Operations office (telephone (800) 647-5527) is
in the ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available in the AD docket
shortly after receipt.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Thompson, Aerospace Engineer,
International Branch, ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA,
1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 98057-3356; phone 425-227-
1175; fax 425-227-1149.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or
arguments about this proposed AD. Send your comments to an address
listed under the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2012-0332;
Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-130-AD'' at the beginning of your
comments. We specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory,
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this proposed AD. We
will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend
this proposed AD based on those comments.
We will post all comments we receive, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. We
will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact we
receive about this proposed AD.
Discussion
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical
Agent for the Member States of the European Community, has issued EASA
Airworthiness Directive 2011-0099, dated May 26, 2011 (referred to
after this as ``the MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition for the
specified products. The MCAI states:
An operator has reported the cracking and surface anomalies
(bulges and/or dents) of the fuselage skin at the water trap/air
drier unit of the forward discharge valve located between Frames 22
and 23 and between stringers 22 and 23.
Further investigation established that these surface anomalies
(bulges and/or dents) were due to corrosion beneath the water trap/
air drier unit that has resulted in cracking of the fuselage skin. A
crack at the subject location could propagate towards the forward
discharge valve outlet and result in the failure of the fuselage
skin leading to a possible sudden loss of cabin pressure.
For the reasons described above, this [EASA] AD mandates an
initial and repetitive [detailed] inspections [for bulging, surface
anomalies, and cracking] of the fuselage skin adjacent to the front
and rear discharge valves, the accomplishment of the associated
correctives actions [repair] if applicable and the application of an
additional sealant in the affected area.
You may obtain further information by examining the MCAI in the AD
docket.
Relevant Service Information
BAE SYSTEMS (OPERATIONS) LIMITED has issued Inspection Service
Bulletin ISB.21-162, Revision 1, dated September 16, 2010; Subject 53-
00-00, ``Fuselage, General Description,'' of Chapter 53, ``Fuselage,''
of the BAE SYSTEMS BAe 146 Series/AVRO 146-RJ Series Structural Repair
Manual for Series 100-200, Revision 66, dated October 15, 2011; and
Subject 53-00-00, ``Fuselage, General Description,'' of Chapter 53,
``Fuselage,'' of the BAE SYSTEMS BAe 146 Series/AVRO 146-RJ Series
Structural Repair Manual for Series 300, Revision 44, dated October
[[Page 20573]]
15, 2011. The actions described in this service information are
intended to correct the unsafe condition identified in the MCAI.
FAA's Determination and Requirements of This Proposed AD
This product has been approved by the aviation authority of another
country, and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant
to our bilateral agreement with the State of Design Authority, we have
been notified of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI and service
information referenced above. We are proposing this AD because we
evaluated all pertinent information and determined an unsafe condition
exists and is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same
type design.
Costs of Compliance
Based on the service information, we estimate that this proposed AD
would affect about 1 product of U.S. registry. We also estimate that it
would take about 8 work-hours per product to comply with the basic
requirements of this proposed AD. The average labor rate is $85 per
work-hour. Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of the proposed
AD on U.S. operators to be $680, or $680 per product. We have received
no definitive data that would enable us to provide cost estimates for
the on-condition (repair) actions specified in this proposed AD.
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.
We are 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
We determined that this proposed AD would not have federalism
implications under Executive Order 13132. This proposed AD would 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;
2. Is not a ``significant rule'' under the DOT Regulatory Policies
and Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979);
3. Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska; and
4. Will not have a significant economic impact, positive or
negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
We prepared a regulatory evaluation of the estimated costs to
comply with this proposed AD and placed it in the AD docket.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by
reference, Safety.
The Proposed Amendment
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the FAA proposes to amend 14 CFR part 39 as follows:
PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
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]
2. The FAA amends Sec. 39.13 by adding the following new AD:
BAE Systems (Operations) Limited: Docket No. FAA-2012-0332;
Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-130-AD.
(a) Comments Due Date
We must receive comments by May 21, 2012.
(b) Affected ADs
None.
(c) Applicability
This AD applies to BAE SYSTEMS (OPERATIONS) LIMITED Model BAe
146-100A, -200A airplanes, and -300A and Model Avro 146-RJ70A, 146-
RJ85A, and 146-RJ100A airplanes, certificated in any category; all
models, and all serial numbers except airplanes that have
incorporated auto-pressurization modification HCM50259A during
production.
(d) Subject
Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 21: Air
Conditioning.
(e) Reason
This AD was prompted by reports of cracking and surface
anomalies of the fuselage skin at the water trap/air drier unit of
the forward discharge valve due to corrosion. We are issuing this AD
to detect and correct bulging, surface anomalies, and cracking that
could propagate towards the forward discharge valve outlet and
result in the failure of the fuselage skin, leading to a possible
sudden loss of cabin pressure.
(f) Compliance
You are responsible for having the actions required by this AD
performed within the compliance times specified, unless the actions
have already been done.
(g) Detailed Inspection of External Fuselage Skin
Within 12 months after the effective date of this AD, do a
detailed inspection to check for bulging, surface anomalies, and
cracking of the fuselage skin adjacent to the discharge valve
outlets (one frame fore and aft, one stringer above and below), in
accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions of BAE SYSTEMS
(OPERATIONS) LIMITED Inspection Service Bulletin ISB.21-162,
Revision 1, dated September 16, 2010. Repeat the inspection
thereafter at intervals not to exceed 24 months.
(1) If any bulging, surface anomalies, or cracking of the
fuselage skin is found to be within the criteria defined in Subject
53-00-00, ``Fuselage, General Description,'' of Chapter 53,
``Fuselage,'' of the BAE SYSTEMS BAe 146 Series/AVRO 146-RJ Series
Structural Repair Manual for Series 100-200, Revision 66, dated
October 15, 2011 (for Model 146-100A and -200A, and Avro 146-RJ70A
and 146-RJ85A airplanes); or Subject 53-00-00, ``Fuselage, General
Description,'' of Chapter 53, ``Fuselage,'' of the BAe SYSTEMS BAE
146 Series/AVRO 146-RJ Series Structural Repair Manual for Series
300, Revision 44, dated October 15, 2011 (for Model 146-300A and
Avro 146-RJ100A airplanes): Before further flight, repair the
damage, in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions specified
in BAE SYSTEMS (Operations) Limited Inspection Service Bulletin
ISB.21-162, Revision 1, dated September 16, 2010.
(2) If any bulging, surface anomalies, or cracking of the
fuselage skin is found exceeding the criteria as specified by
Subject 53-00-00, ``Fuselage, General Description,'' of Chapter 53,
``Fuselage,'' of the BAE SYSTEMS BAe 146 Series/AVRO 146-RJ Series
Structural Repair Manual for Series 100-200, Revision 66, dated
October 15, 2011 (for Model 146-100A and -200A, and Avro 146-RJ70A
and 146-RJ85A airplanes); or Subject 53-00-00, ``Fuselage, General
Description,'' of Chapter 53, ``Fuselage,'' of the BAE SYSTEMS BAE
146/AVRO 146-RJ Series Structural Repair Manual for Series 300,
Revision 44, dated October 15, 2011 (for Model 146-300A and Avro
146-RJ100A airplanes): Before further flight, repair the condition
according to a method approved by the Manager, International Branch,
ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, or EASA (or its
delegated agent).
[[Page 20574]]
(h) Application of Sealant
Within 24 months after the effective date of this AD, unless a
repair has already been accomplished in accordance with paragraph
(g) of this AD: Apply additional PR1422A-2 or PR1764-2 edge sealant
between the water trap/air drier and the fuselage skin, in
accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions of BAE SYSTEMS
(OPERATIONS) LIMITED Inspection Service Bulletin ISB.21-162,
Revision 1, dated September 16, 2010. Application of additional
sealant does not constitute terminating actions for the repetitive
detailed inspection required by paragraph (g) of this AD.
Accomplishment of a repair as required by paragraph (g) of this AD
terminates the repetitive inspection requirements of this AD.
(i) Credit for Previous Actions
(1) This paragraph provides credit for inspections and sealant
applications required by paragraphs (g) and (h) of this AD, if those
actions were performed using the Accomplishment Instructions of BAE
SYSTEMS (OPERATIONS) LIMITED Inspection Service Bulletin ISB.21-162,
dated June 7, 2010.
(2) This paragraph provides credit for using criteria defined in
the following subject of the applicable structural repair manual, as
required by paragraphs (g)(1) and (g)(2) of this AD, if that
criteria was used before the effective date of this AD using Subject
53-00-00, ``Fuselage, General Description,'' of Chapter 53,
``Fuselage,'' of the BAE SYSTEMS BAe 146 Series/AVRO 146-RJ Series
Structural Repair Manual for Series 100-200, Revision 65, dated
September 15, 2010 (for Model 146-100A and -200A, and Avro 146-RJ70A
and 146-RJ85A airplanes); or Subject 53-00-00, ``Fuselage, General
Description,'' of Chapter 53, ``Fuselage,'' of the BAE SYSTEMS BAe
146 Series/AVRO 146-RJ Series Structural Repair Manual for Series
300, Revision 43, dated September 15, 2010 (for Model 146-300A and
Avro 146-RJ100A airplanes).
(j) Other FAA AD Provisions
The following provisions also apply to this AD:
(1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager,
International Branch, ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, 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 local Flight
Standards District Office, as appropriate. If sending information
directly to the International Branch, send it to ATTN: Todd
Thompson, Aerospace Engineer, International Branch, ANM-116,
Transport Airplane Directorate, FAA, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton,
Washington 98057-3356; phone 425-227-1175; fax 425-227-1149.
Information may be emailed to: [email protected].
Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate principal
inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager of the
local flight standards district office/certificate holding district
office. The AMOC approval letter must specifically reference this
AD.
(2) Airworthy Product: For any requirement in this AD to obtain
corrective actions from a manufacturer or other source, use these
actions if they are FAA-approved. Corrective actions are considered
FAA-approved if they are approved by the State of Design Authority
(or their delegated agent). You are required to assure the product
is airworthy before it is returned to service.
(k) Related Information
Refer to MCAI EASA Airworthiness Directive 2011-0099, dated May
26, 2011, and the service information identified in paragraphs
(k)(1), (k)(2), and (k)(3) of this AD, for related information.
(1) BAE SYSTEMS (OPERATIONS) LIMITED Inspection Service Bulletin
ISB.21-162, Revision 1, dated September 16, 2010.
(2) Subject 53-00-00, ``Fuselage, General Description,'' of
Chapter 53, ``Fuselage,'' of the BAE SYSTEMS BAe 146 Series/AVRO
146-RJ Series Structural Repair Manual for Series 100-200, Revision
66, dated October 15, 2011.
(3) Subject 53-00-00, ``Fuselage, General Description,'' of
Chapter 53, ``Fuselage,'' of the BAE SYSTEMS BAe 146 Series/AVRO
146-RJ Series Structural Repair Manual for Series 300, Revision 44,
dated October 15, 2011.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on March 28, 2012.
Kalene C. Yanamura,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-8128 Filed 4-4-12; 8:45 am]
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