[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 9, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 15738-15740]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-8754]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 95-CE-67-AD]


Airworthiness Directives; SOCATA Groupe AEROSPATIALE TBM 700 
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 SOCATA Groupe AEROSPATIALE (Socata) 
TBM 700 airplanes. The proposed action would require installing four 
rivets on the right side of the rudder and drilling drainage holes at 
the areas of the elevators and rudder. Reports of water accumulating in 
the areas of the elevators and rudder and a report of a bonding defect 
between the

[[Page 15739]]
skin and rudder rear spar on the affected airplanes prompted the 
proposed action. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended 
to prevent the wing skin and the rear spar from becoming unbonded or 
water accumulating in either the elevators or rudder, which could 
result in loss of control of the airplane.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 12, 1996.

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-67-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 SOCATA Groupe AEROSPATIALE, Socata Product Support, Aeroport 
Tarbes-Ossun-Lourdes, B P 930, 65009 Tarbes Cedex, France; telephone 
62.41.74.26; facsimile 62.41.74.32; or the Product Support Manager, 
U.S. AEROSPATIALE, 2701 Forum Drive, Grand Prairie, Texas 75053; 
telephone (214) 641-3614; facsimile (214) 641-3527. This information 
also may be examined at the Rules Docket at the address below. Send 
comments on the proposal in triplicate to the Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA), Central Region, Office of the Assistant Chief 
Counsel, Attention: Rules Docket No. 95-CE-67-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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. William J. Timberlake, Program 
Officer, Brussels Aircraft Certification Office, FAA, Europe, Africa, 
and Middle East Office, c/o American Embassy, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium; 
telephone (32 2) 513.38.30; facsimile (32 2) 230.68.99; or Mr. Mike 
Kiesov, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 1201 
Walnut Street, suite 900, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone (816) 
426-6934; 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-67-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-67-AD, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street, 
Kansas City, Missouri 64106.

Discussion

    The Direction Gonorale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC), which is the 
airworthiness authority for France, recently notified the FAA that an 
unsafe condition may exist on certain Socata TBM 700 airplanes. The 
DGAC reports that water may accumulate in the areas of the elevators 
and rudder, and that a bonding defect between the skin and rudder rear 
spar was found on a TBM 700 airplane on the assembly line. These 
conditions, if not detected and corrected, could result in loss of 
control of the airplane.
    Socata has issued the following service bulletins (SB):

--SB 70-028, dated September 1993, which specifies procedures for 
drilling drainage holes in the elevator and rudder areas on Socata TBM 
700 airplanes; and
--SB 70-027, dated September 1993, which specifies procedures for 
installing four rivets on the right side of the rudder on Socata TBM 
700 airplanes.

    The DGAC classified these service bulletins as mandatory and issued 
DGAC AD 93-178(B) and DGAC AD 93- 179(B), both dated October 27, 1993, 
in order to assure the continued airworthiness of these airplanes in 
France.
    This airplane model is manufactured in France and is type 
certificated for operation in the United States under the provisions of 
section 21.29 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 21.29) and 
the applicable bilateral airworthiness agreement. Pursuant to this 
bilateral airworthiness agreement, the DGAC has kept the FAA informed 
of the situation described above. The FAA has examined the findings of 
the DGAC, reviewed all available information including the service 
information referenced above, 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 Socata TBM 700 airplanes of the same type 
design registered in the United States, the proposed AD would require 
installing four rivets on the right side of the rudder and drilling 
drainage holes at the specified areas of the elevators and rudder. 
Accomplishment of the proposed installation would be in accordance with 
Socata SB 70-027 and Socata SB 70-028, both dated September 1993.
    The FAA estimates that 31 airplanes in the U.S. registry would be 
affected by the proposed rivet installation and 35 airplanes would be 
affected by the proposed drainage hole drillings, that it would take 2 
workhours to install the rivets and 2 workhours to drill the drainage 
holes, and that the average labor cost is $60 per hour. No cost is 
attributed to parts that would be necessary to accomplish the proposed 
actions since these parts are available through common operator stock 
and an approximate cost cannot be traced. Based on these figures, the 
total cost impact of the proposed AD on U.S. operators is estimated to 
be $3,720 or $120 per airplane for the rivet installation and $4,200 or 
$120 per airplane for the drainage hole drilling. Since parts are not 
sold through the manufacturer, the FAA has no method of determining the 
number of parts already distributed, and thus bases this cost impact 
upon the assumption that no owner/operator of the affected airplanes 
has accomplished the proposed actions.
    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

[[Page 15740]]
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:

Socata Groupe Aerospatiale: Docket No. 95-CE-67-AD.

    Applicability: TBM 700 airplanes (serial numbers 1 through 19, 
21, 22, 25 through 34, 38, 39, 46, 49, 50, 52, 53, 57, 59 through 
63, 67, 68, 70 through 78, 80, and 82 through 85), 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 (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 within the next 100 hours time-in-
service after the effective date of this AD, unless already 
accomplished.

    To prevent the wing skin and the rear spar from becoming 
unbonded or water accumulating in either the elevators or rudder, 
which could result in loss of control of the airplane, accomplish 
the following:
    (a) For any TBM 700 airplane with a serial number in the 
following range: 1 through 19, 21, 22, 25 through 34, 38, 39, 46, 
49, 50, 52, 53, 57, 59, 61 through 63, 67, 68, and 71 through 75, 
install four rivets on the right side of the rudder in accordance 
with the DESCRIPTION section of Socata Service Bulletin (SB) 70-027, 
dated September 1993.
    (b) For any TBM 700 airplane with a serial number in the 
following range: 2 through 19, 21, 22, 24 through 34, 38, 39, 46, 
49, 50, 52, 53, 57, 59 through 63, 67, 68, 70 through 78, 80, and 82 
through 85, drill drainage holes in the area of the elevators and 
rudder in accordance with the DESCRIPTION section of Socata SB 70-
028, dated September 1993.
    (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, Brussels Aircraft Certification Office 
(ACO), 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 ACO.

    Note 2: Information concerning the existence of approved 
alternative methods of compliance with this AD, if any, may be 
obtained from the Brussels ACO.

    (e) All persons affected by this directive may obtain copies of 
the document referred to herein upon request to the SOCATA Groupe 
AEROSPATIALE, Socata Product Support, Aeroport Tarbes-Ossun-Lourdes, 
B P 930, 65009 Tarbes Cedex, France; or the Product Support Manager, 
U.S. AEROSPATIALE, 2701 Forum Drive, Grand Prairie, Texas 75053; 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.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 2, 1996.
James E. Jackson,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 96-8754 Filed 4-8-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P