[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
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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