[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 32 (Thursday, February 18, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 8022-8024]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-3887]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. 99-CE-04-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Fairchild Aircraft, Inc. SA226-T,
SA226-T(B), SA226-AT, and SA226-TC Airplanes
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This document proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive
(AD) that would apply to certain Fairchild Aircraft, Inc. (Fairchild)
Models SA226-T, SA226-T(B), SA226-AT, and SA226-TC airplanes. The
proposed AD would require replacing the existing brake master cylinders
with brake master cylinders of improved design. The proposed AD is the
result of an accident of a Model SA226-TC airplane where the master
cylinder did not totally release the brake hydraulic pressure at the
beginning of the takeoff roll. This caused the brakes to drag and the
left-hand main wheel brakes to overheat, resulting in a wheel well area
fire. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent
this situation from occurring on other airplanes, which could result in
loss of control of the airplane and passenger injury during landing,
takeoff, or taxi operations.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 12, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments in triplicate to the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), Central Region, Office of the Regional Counsel,
Attention: Rules Docket No. 99-CE-04-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 Fairchild Aircraft, Inc., P.O. Box 790490, San Antonio, Texas
78279-0490; telephone: (210) 824-9421; facsimile: (210) 820-8609. This
information also may be examined at the Rules Docket at the address
above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Werner Koch, FAA, Airplane
Certification Office, 2601 Meacham Boulevard, Fort Worth, Texas 76193-
0150; telephone: (817) 222-5133; facsimile: (817) 222-5960.
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. 99-CE-04-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 Regional Counsel, Attention:
Rules Docket No. 99-CE-04-AD, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street, Kansas
City, Missouri 64106.
Discussion
The FAA has received a report of an accident on a Fairchild Model
SA226-TC airplane of Canadian registry. Analysis of the accident
reveals that the master cylinder did not totally release the brake
hydraulic pressure at the beginning of the takeoff roll. This caused
the brakes to drag and the left-hand main wheel brakes to overheat,
resulting in a wheel well area fire.
This condition, if not corrected on other airplanes of the same
type design, could result in a wheel well area fire, loss of control of
the airplane, and passenger injury during landing, takeoff, or taxi
operations.
Relevant Service Information
Fairchild has issued Service Bulletin 226-32-046, which
incorporates the following pages:
[[Page 8023]]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pages Revision level and date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10.................. Issued: November 29, 1983.
1, 2, 3, and 7......................... Revised: March 19, 1984.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This service bulletin specifies procedures for replacing the existing
brake master cylinders with brake master cylinders of improved design.
The FAA's Determination
After examining the circumstances and reviewing all available
information related to the incidents described above, including the
above-referenced service information, the FAA has determined that AD
action should be taken to prevent the main wheel brakes from
overheating because of the existing brake master cylinders not totally
releasing the brake hydraulic pressure and causing the brakes to drag.
This could result in loss of control of the airplane and passenger
injury during landing, takeoff, or taxi operations.
Explanation of the Provisions of the Proposed AD
Since an unsafe condition has been identified that is likely to
exist or develop in other Fairchild Models SA226-T, SA226-T(B), SA226-
AT, and SA226-TC airplanes of the same type design, the FAA is
proposing AD action. The proposed AD would require replacing the
existing brake master cylinders with brake master cylinders of improved
design. Accomplishment of the proposed replacement would be required in
accordance with Fairchild Service Bulletin 226-32-046, which
incorporates the following pages:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pages Revision level and date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10................. Issued: November 29, 1983.
1, 2, 3, and 7......................... Revised: March 19, 1984.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cost Impact
The FAA estimates that 200 airplanes in the U.S. registry would be
affected by the proposed AD, that it would take approximately 16
workhours per airplane to accomplish the proposed action, and that the
average labor rate is approximately $60 an hour. Parts cost
approximately $1,200 per airplane. Based on these figures, the total
cost impact of the proposed AD on U.S. operators is estimated to be
$432,000, or $2,160 per airplane.
Regulatory Impact
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. 106(g), 40113, 44701.
Sec. 39.13 [Amended]
2. Section 39.13 is amended by adding a new airworthiness directive
(AD) to read as follows:
Fairchild Aircraft, Inc.: Docket No. 99-CE-04-AD.
Applicability: The following models and serial numbers,
certificated in any category:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Model Serial numbers
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SA226-T................................ T201 through T275, T277 through
T291.
SA226-T(B)............................. T(B)276, T(B)292 through
T(B)417.
SA226-AT............................... AT001 through AT069, AT071
through AT074.
SA226-TC............................... TC201 through TC419.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 request approval for an
alternative method of compliance in accordance with paragraph (d) of
this AD. The request should include an assessment of the effect of
the modification, alteration, or repair on the unsafe condition
addressed by this AD; and, if the unsafe condition has not been
eliminated, the request should include specific proposed actions to
address it.
Compliance: Required as indicated in the body of this AD, unless
already accomplished.
To prevent the main wheel brakes from overheating because of the
existing brake master cylinders not totally releasing the brake
hydraulic pressure and causing the brakes to drag, which could
result in a wheel well area fire, loss of control of the airplane,
and/or passenger injury during landing, takeoff, or taxi operations,
accomplish the following:
(a) Within the next 300 hours time-in-service (TIS) after the
effective date of this AD, replace the existing brake master
cylinders with improved design brake master cylinders as specified
in the service information presented below (or FAA-approved
equivalent part numbers). Accomplish this replacement in accordance
with the ACCOMPLISHMENT INSTRUCTIONS section of Fairchild Service
Bulletin 226-32-046, which incorporates the following pages:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pages Revision level and date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10.................. Issued: November 29, 1983.
1, 2, 3, and 7......................... Revised: March 19, 1984.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(b) As of the effective date of this AD, no person may install,
on any affected airplane, brake master cylinders that are not of
improved design, part numbers as specified in the service
information in paragraph (a) of this AD (or FAA-approved equivalent
part numbers).
(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, FAA, Airplane Certification Office (ACO),
2601 Meacham Boulevard, Fort Worth, Texas 76193-0150. The request
shall be forwarded through an appropriate FAA Maintenance Inspector,
[[Page 8024]]
who may add comments and then send it to the Manager, Fort Worth
ACO.
Note 2: Information concerning the existence of approved
alternative methods of compliance with this AD, if any, may be
obtained from the Fort Worth ACO.
(e) All persons affected by this directive may obtain copies of
the document referred to herein upon request to Fairchild Aircraft,
Inc., P.O. Box 790490, San Antonio, Texas 78279-0490; or may examine
this document at the FAA, Central Region, Office of the Regional
Counsel, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106.
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on February 9, 1999.
Marvin R. Nuss,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-3887 Filed 2-17-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P