[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 107 (Monday, June 5, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 29513-29514]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-13626]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. 95-CE-23-AD]
Airworthiness Directives; Beech Aircraft Corporation Models 60
and A60 Airplanes
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: This document proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive
(AD) that would apply to certain Beech Aircraft Corporation (Beech)
Models 60 and A60 airplanes. The proposed action would require
incorporating flight manual supplement revisions into the Airplane
Flight Manual (AFM) that would specify a minimum airspeed for operating
the affected airplanes in icing conditions. Reports of several
incidents and accidents on the affected airplanes related to flight in
icing conditions prompted the proposed action. The actions specified by
the proposed AD are intended to prevent loss of control of the airplane
because of the airplane traveling too slow in icing conditions.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 4, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments in triplicate to the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), Central Region, Office of the Assistant Chief
Counsel, Attention: Rules Docket No. 95-CE-23-AD, Room 1558, 601 E.
12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. Comments may be inspected at
this location between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday,
holidays excepted.
Service information that applies to the proposed AD may be obtained
from the Beech Aircraft Corporation, P.O. Box 85, Wichita, Kansas
67201-0085. This information also may be examined at the Rules Docket
at the address above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Bennett L. Sorensen, Flight Test
Pilot, FAA, Wichita Aircraft Certification Office, 1801 Airport Road,
Room 100, Wichita, Kansas 67209; telephone (316) 946-4165; facsimile
(316) 946-4407.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
Interested persons are invited to participate in the making of the
proposed rule by submitting such written data, views, or arguments as
they may desire. Communications should identify the Rules Docket number
and be submitted in triplicate to the address specified above. All
communications received on or before the closing date for comments,
specified above, will be considered before taking action on the
proposed rule. The proposals contained in this notice may be changed in
light of the comments received.
Comments are specifically invited on the overall regulatory,
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of the proposed rule. All
comments submitted will be available, both before and after the closing
date for comments, in the Rules Docket for examination by interested
persons. A report that summarizes each FAA-public contact concerned
with the substance of this proposal will be filed in the Rules Docket.
Commenters wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments
submitted in response to this notice must submit a self-addressed,
stamped postcard on which the following statement is made: ``Comments
to Docket No. 95-CE-23-AD.'' The postcard will be date stamped and
returned to the commenter.
Availability of NPRMs
Any person may obtain a copy of this NPRM by submitting a request
to the FAA, Central Region, Office of the Assistant Chief Counsel,
Attention: Rules Docket No. 95-CE-23-AD, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street,
Kansas City, Missouri 64106.
Discussion
The FAA has received reports of four icing-related occurrences (one
incident and three fatal accidents) involving Beech Models 60 and A60
airplanes. Investigation of these occurrences revealed that, in two of
the accidents, the airplane was traveling too slow for icing
conditions.
The Model 60 and A60 Pilot's Operating Handbook/Airplane Flight
Manual (POH/AFM), including the FAA-approved sections, contains no
specification or precautionary performance advisory regarding the
appropriate minimum airspeed to maintain while operating in icing
conditions.
Beech recently issued AFM supplement ``FLIGHT IN KNOWN ICING
CONDITIONS'', Revised: January 1995, part number (P/N) 60-590001-17.
This AFM supplement establishes a minimum airspeed for operating Beech
Models 60 and A60 airplanes in icing conditions.
After examining the circumstances and reviewing all available
information related to the incidents described above, the FAA has
determined that AD action should be taken to prevent loss of control of
the airplane because of the airplane traveling too slow in icing
conditions.
Since an unsafe condition has been identified that is likely to
exist or develop in other Beech Models 60 and A60 airplanes of the same
type design, the proposed AD would require incorporating AFM supplement
``FLIGHT IN KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS'', Revised: January 1995, part
number (P/N) 60-590001-17, into the applicable AFM.
The compliance time of the proposed AD is presented in calendar
time instead of hours time-in-service. Although the unsafe condition
develops as a result of airplane usage, it cannot develop unless the
airplane travels too slow in icing conditions. Therefore, to ensure
that all owners/operators of the affected airplanes incorporate the
minimum airspeed in icing conditions flight manual supplement revisions
in a reasonable amount of time, a compliance based on calendar time is
proposed.
The FAA estimates that 243 airplanes in the U.S. registry would be
affected by the proposed AD, that it would take less than 1 workhour
per airplane to accomplish the proposed action. Since an owner/operator
who holds a private pilot's certificate as authorized by sections 43.7
and 43.11 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 43.7 and 43.11)
can accomplish this action, the [[Page 29514]] only cost impact upon
the public is the time it takes to incorporate these AFM supplement
revisions.
The regulations proposed herein would not have substantial direct
effects 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. Therefore, in
accordance with Executive Order 12612, it is determined that this
proposal would not have sufficient federalism implications to warrant
the preparation of a Federalism Assessment.
For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this action (1) is
not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order 12866;
(2) is not a ``significant rule'' under DOT Regulatory Policies and
Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979); and (3) if promulgated,
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. A copy of the draft regulatory evaluation
prepared for this action has been placed in the Rules Docket. A copy of
it may be obtained by contacting the Rules Docket at the location
provided under the caption ADDRESSES.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Safety.
The Proposed Amendment
Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the Federal Aviation Administration proposes to amend
part 39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (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. App. 1354(a), 1421 and 1423; 49 U.S.C.
106(g); and 14 CFR 11.89.
Sec. 39.13 [Amended]
2. Section 39.13 is amended by adding a new AD to read as follows:
Beech Aircraft Corporation: Docket No. 95-CE-23-AD.
Applicability: Models 60 and A60 airplanes, serial numbers P-4
through P-246, certificated in any category.
Note 1: This AD applies to each airplane identified in the
preceding applicability provision, regardless of whether it has been
modified, altered, or repaired in the area subject to the
requirements of this AD. For airplanes that have been modified,
altered, or repaired so that the performance of the requirements of
this AD is affected, the owner/operator must use the authority
provided in paragraph (d) of this AD to request approval from the
FAA. This approval may address either no action, if the current
configuration eliminates the unsafe condition, or different actions
necessary to address the unsafe condition described in this AD. Such
a request should include an assessment of the effect of the changed
configuration on the unsafe condition addressed by this AD. In no
case does the presence of any modification, alteration, or repair
remove any airplane from the applicability of this AD.
Compliance: Required within the next 60 calendar days after the
effective date of this AD, unless already accomplished.
To prevent loss of control of the airplane because of the
airplane traveling too slow in icing conditions, accomplish the
following:
(a) Incorporate Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) supplement ``FLIGHT
IN KNOWN ICING CONDITIONS'', Revised: January 1995, part number (P/
N) 60-590001-17, into the AFM, P/N 60-590000-5 or P/N 60--590000-11,
as applicable.
(b) Incorporating the AFM supplement ``FLIGHT IN KNOWN ICING
CONDITIONS'', Revised: January 1995, part number (P/N) 60-590001-17,
as required by this AD may be performed by the owner/operator
holding at least a private pilot certificate as authorized by
section 43.7 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 43.7), and
must be entered into the aircraft records showing compliance with
this AD in accordance with section 43.11 of the Federal Aviation
Regulations (14 CFR 43.11).
(c) Special flight permits may be issued in accordance with
sections 21.197 and 21.199 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14
CFR 21.197 and 21.199) to operate the airplane to a location where
the requirements of this AD can be accomplished.
(d) An alternative method of compliance or adjustment of the
compliance time that provides an equivalent level of safety may be
approved by the Manager, Wichita Aircraft Certification Office
(ACO), FAA, 1801 Airport Road, Room 100, Wichita, Kansas 67209. The
request should be forwarded through an appropriate FAA Maintenance
Inspector, who may add comments and send it to the Manager, Wichita
ACO.
Note 2: Information concerning the existence of approved
alternative methods of compliance with this AD, if any, may be
obtained from the Wichita ACO.
(e) All persons affected by this directive may obtain copies of
the AFM revision referred to herein upon request to Beech Aircraft
Corporation, P.O. Box 85, Wichita, Kansas 67201-0085; or may examine
these documents at the FAA, Central Region, Office of the Assistant
Chief Counsel, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri
64106.
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on May 26, 1995.
Henry A. Armstrong,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 95-13626 Filed 6-2-95; 8:45 am]
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