[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 64 (Friday, April 3, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 16452-16453]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8735]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Parts 91, 121, 125, and 129

[Docket No. 29104; Notice No. 97-16A]
RIN 2120-AF81


Repair Assessment for Pressurized Fuselages

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The FAA announces an extension of the comment period for 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) No. 97-16, which was published in 
the Federal Register on January 2, 1998. In that notice, the FAA 
invites public comments relative to a proposal that would require 
incorporation of repair assessment guidelines for the fuselage pressure 
boundary (fuselage skins and pressure webs) of certain transport 
category airplane models into the FAA-approved maintenance or 
inspection program of each operator of those airplanes. This extension 
is necessary to afford all interested parties an opportunity to present 
their views on the proposed rulemaking.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 2, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments on Notice 97-16 may be mailed in triplicate to: 
Federal Aviation Administration, Office of the Chief Counsel, 
Attention: Rules Docket (AGC-200), Docket No. 19104, 800 Independence 
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591; or delivered in triplicate to: Room 
915G, 800 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591. Comments 
delivered must be marked Docket No. 29104. Comments may also be 
submitted electronically to: [email protected]. Comments may be 
examined in Room 915G weekdays, except Federal holidays, between 8:30 
a.m. and 5:00 p.m. In addition, the FAA is maintaining an information 
docket of comments in the Transport Airplane Directorate (ANM-100), 
Federal Aviation Administration, Northwest Mountain Region, 1601 Lind 
Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98055-4056. Comments in the information docket 
may be examined weekdays, except Federal holidays, between 7:30 a.m. 
and 4:00 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dorenda Baker, Manager, Airframe and Airworthiness Branch, ANM-115, FAA 
Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, 1601 
Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98055-4056; telephone (425) 227-2109, 
facsimile (425) 227-1100.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    Interested persons are invited to participate in the rulemaking 
proposed in Notice 97-16 by submitting such written data, views, or 
arguments as they may desire. Comments relating to the environmental, 
energy, federalism, or economic impact that might result from adoption 
of the proposals in the notice are also invited. Substantive comments 
should also be accompanied by cost estimates. Commenters should 
identify the regulatory docket or notice number and submit comments in 
triplicate to the Rules Docket address specified above. All comments 
received on or before the closing date for comments will be considered 
by the Administrator before taking action on the proposed rulemaking. 
The proposals contained in Notice 97-16 may be changed in light of the 
comments received. All comments received will be available in the Rules 
Docket for examination by interested persons, both before and after the 
closing date for comments. A report summarizing each substantive public 
contact with FAA personnel concerned with this rulemaking will be filed 
in the docket. Commenters wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of 
their comments submitted in response to this notice must include a 
self-addressed, stamped postcard on which the following statement is 
made: ``Comments to Docket No. 29104.'' The postcard will be date 
stamped and returned to the commenter.

Availability of the NPRM

    An electronic copy of Notice 97-16 may be downloaded using a modem 
and suitable communications software from the FAA regulations section 
of the Fedworld electronic bulletin board service (telephone: 703-321-
3339), the online Federal Register database through GPO Access 
(telephone: 202-512-1661), or the FAA's Aviation Rulemaking Advisory 
Committee Bulletin Board service (telephone: 202-267-5948).
    Internet users may reach the FAA's web page at http://www.faa.gov 
or GPO's Federal Register web page at http://www.access.gpo.gov/
su__docs for access to recently published rulemaking documents.
    Any person may obtain a copy of Notice 97-16 by submitting a 
request to the Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Rulemaking, 
ARM-1, 800 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, D.C. 20591, or by 
calling (202) 267-9677. Communications must identify the notice number. 
Persons interested in being placed on a mailing list for future 
rulemaking documents should request from the Office of Public Affairs, 
Attention: Public Inquiry Center, APA-230, 800 Independence Ave SW., 
Washington, D.C. 20591, or by calling (202) 267-3484, a copy of 
Advisory Circular No. 11-2A, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Distribution 
System, which describes the application procedure.

Background

    On January 2, 1998, the FAA published Notice No. 97-16 (63 FR 126). 
In that notice the FAA proposed rulemaking that would require 
incorporation of repair assessment guidelines for the fuselage pressure 
boundary (fuselage skins and pressure webs) of certain transport 
category airplane models into the FAA-approved maintenance or 
inspection program of each operator of those airplanes. This action is 
the result of concern for the continued operational safety of airplanes 
that are approaching or have exceeded their design service goal. The 
purpose of the repair assessment guidelines is to establish a damage-
tolerance based supplemental inspection program for repairs to detect 
damage, which may develop in a repaired area, before that damage 
degrades the load-carrying capability of the structure below the levels 
required by the applicable airworthiness standards.
    Since Notice 97-16 was published, the FAA has received requests 
from persons requesting that the comment period for the notice be 
extended past April 2, 1998, to allow commenters more time in which to 
study the proposal and to prepare their comments. The commenters point 
out that in some cases the repair assessment guidelines referred to in 
the notice are not available from the manufacturer for review. The 
commenters had anticipated being able

[[Page 16453]]

to review the guidelines along with the proposals in the notice in 
order to provide meaningful comment on the proposed rulemaking by the 
April 2 comment deadline. As this has not been the case, the commenters 
now request that the comment period be extended for a sufficient amount 
of time to allow the issuance of the guidelines by the manufacturers 
and to allow the commenters to study the proposal and prepare their 
comments. The FAA anticipates that the guidelines will be available for 
operators to review within 30 days after the publication of this 
notice.

Extension of Comment Period

    The FAA has reviewed the requests for consideration of an extended 
comment period for Notice 97-16 and determined that an extension would 
be in the public interest and that good cause exists for taking this 
action. Accordingly, the comment period for Notice 97-16, as well as 
the draft advisory circular (AC) 120-XX, is extended for an additional 
ninety days, as identified under the caption DATES.

    Issued in Washington, D.C. on March 27, 1998.
Elizabeth Erickson,
Deputy Director, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 98-8735 Filed 4-2-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M