[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 192 (Wednesday, October 4, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 51944-51946]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-24640]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 95-CE-50-AD]


Airworthiness Directives; I.A.M. Rinaldo Piaggio S.p.A. Model P 
180 Series 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 I.A.M. Rinaldo Piaggio S.p.A. 
(Piaggio) Model P 180 series airplanes. The proposed action would 
require installing a shield on the front section of the engine cradle. 
A report of power control jamming as a result of freezing conditions 
during a high altitude flight prompted this AD action. The actions 
specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent loss of engine 
power or the propeller controls from jamming as a result of freezing 
rain entering the engine nacelle, which, if not detected and corrected, 
could result in loss of control of the airplane.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 5, 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-50-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 I.A.M. Rinaldo Piaggio, S.p.A., Via Cibrario, 4 16154, Genoa, 
Italy. This information also may be examined at the Rules Docket at the 
address above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Delano D. Castle, Program Manager, 
Brussels Aircraft Certification Office, FAA, Europe, Africa, and Middle 
East Office, c/o American Embassy, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium; telephone 
(322) 513.3830, ext. 2716; facsimile (322) 230.6899; or Mr. J. Mike 
Kiesov, Project Officer, Small Airplane Directorate, Airplane 
Certification Service, FAA, 1201 Walnut, suite 900, Kansas City, 
Missouri 64105; telephone (816) 426-6932; facsimile (816) 426-2169.

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-50-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-50-AD, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street, 
Kansas City, Missouri 64106.

Discussion

    The Registro Aeronautico Italiano (RAI), which is the airworthiness 
authority for Italy, recently notified the FAA that an unsafe condition 
may exist on certain Piaggio Model P 180 series airplanes. The RAI 
advised of an incident in which water entered the accessory gearbox 
zone during heavy rain conditions, and passed through the starter 
generator air discharge port or 

[[Page 51945]]
through the interstices between the nacelle inspection hutch and the 
nacelle itself. The trapped water on the power and propeller controls 
resulted in the controls freezing and jamming while flying at high 
altitudes.
    Piaggio has issued Service Bulletin (SB) 80-0066; Original Issue 
December 12, 1994, which specifies modifying the nacelle by installing 
a shield on the front section of the engine cradle to prevent water 
from getting into the power and propeller controls.
    The RAI classified this service bulletin as mandatory and issued 
its AD number 95-087, dated April 6, 1995, in order to assure the 
continued airworthiness of these airplanes in Italy.
    This airplane model is manufactured in Italy and is type 
certificated for operation in the United States under the provisions of 
Sec. 21.29 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 21.29) and the 
applicable bilateral airworthiness agreement between Italy and the 
United States. Pursuant to this bilateral airworthiness agreement, the 
RAI has kept the FAA informed of the situation described above.
    The FAA has examined the findings of the RAI, reviewed all 
available information, and determined that AD action is necessary for 
products of this type design that are certificated for operation in the 
United States.
    Since an unsafe condition has been identified that is likely to 
exist or develop in other Piaggio Model P 180 series airplanes of the 
same type design, the proposed AD would require modifying the nacelle 
by installing a shield on the front section of the engine cradle in 
accordance with Piaggio SB 80-0066; Original Issue: December 12, 1994.
    The FAA estimates that 5 airplanes in the U.S. registry would be 
affected by the proposed AD, that it would take approximately 2 
workhours per airplane to accomplish the proposed action, and that the 
average labor rate is approximately $60 an hour. Parts will be 
furnished by the manufacturer at no cost to the owner/operators. Based 
on these figures, the total cost impact of the proposed AD on U.S. 
operators is estimated to be $600. This figure is based on the 
assumption that none of the affected airplanes have shields installed 
and that none of the affected owners/operators have modified the 
airplanes.
    The compliance time of this AD is presented in both hours time-in-
service (TIS) and calendar time. The FAA has determined that including 
calendar time compliance is also necessary because the unsafe condition 
is the result of adverse weather conditions which can affect the 
nacelle and power controls while not in use as well as in flight. 
Therefore, to ensure that the above-described condition is detected and 
corrected on all airplanes within a reasonable period of time without 
inadvertently grounding any airplanes, a compliance schedule based upon 
both TIS and calendar time instead of hours TIS is required.
    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 USC 106(g), 40101, 40113, 44701.


Sec. 39.13  [Amended]

    2. Section 39.13 is amended by adding a new airworthiness directive 
(AD) to read as follows:

I.A.M. Rinaldo Piaggio S.P.A.: Docket No. 95-CE-50-AD.

    Applicability: Model P 180 Series Airplanes (serial numbers 
1001, 1002, 1004, and 1006 through 1033), 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 request approval for an 
alternative method of compliance in accordance with paragraph (c) 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 initially within the next 100 hours 
time-in service (TIS), or within the next 3 calendar months, 
whichever occurs later, after the effective date of this AD, unless 
already accomplished.
    Note 2: The initial compliance time in this AD takes precedence 
over the compliance time reflected in Piaggio Service Bulletin 80-
0066, Original Issue, December 12, 1994.

    To prevent loss of engine power or the propeller controls from 
jamming, as a result of freezing rain entering the engine nacelle, 
which, if not detected and corrected, could result in loss of 
control of the airplane, accomplish the following:
    (a) Modify the nacelle by installing a shield on the front 
section of the engine cradle, in accordance with the ACCOMPLISHMENT 
INSTRUCTIONS section in Piaggio Service Bulletin (SB) No. 80-0066; 
Original Issue: December 12, 1994.
    (b) Special flight permits may be issued in accordance with 
Secs. 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.
    (c) An alternative method of compliance or adjustment of the 
compliance times that provides an equivalent level of safety may be 
approved by the Manager, Brussels Aircraft Certification Office, 
FAA, Europe, Africa, and Middle East Office, c/o American Embassy, 
B-1000 Brussels, Belgium. The request shall be forwarded through an 
appropriate FAA Maintenance Inspector, who may add comments and then 
send it to the Manager, Brussels Aircraft Certification Office.

    Note 3: Information concerning the existence of approved 
alternative methods of compliance with this AD, if any, may be 
obtained from the Brussels Aircraft Certification Office.

    (d) All persons affected by this directive may obtain copies of 
the document referred to herein upon request to I.A.M. Rinaldo 
Piaggio, S.p.A., Via Cibrario, 4 16154, Genoa, Italy; or may examine 
this document at the FAA, Central Region, Office of the Assistant 
Chief Counsel, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 
64106.

 
[[Page 51946]]

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on September 26, 1995.
Henry A. Armstrong,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 95-24640 Filed 10-3-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-U