[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 181 (Friday, September 18, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 49881-49883]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-25004]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 95-CE-65-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; SOCATA-Groupe AEROSPATIALE Model 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) 
Model TBM 700 airplanes. The proposed AD would require repetitively 
inspecting (using visual methods) the web of the left and right flap 
carriage for cracks, and replacing any cracked flap carriage with one 
of improved design. The proposed AD is the result of mandatory 
continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the airworthiness 
authority for France. The actions specified by the proposed AD are 
intended to detect and correct cracks in a flap carriage, which could 
result in loss of the flap function with consequent reduced and/or loss 
of airplane control.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 16, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in triplicate to the Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA), Central Region, Office of the Regional Counsel, 
Attention: Rules Docket No. 95-CE-65-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 SOCATA Groupe Aerospatiale, Customer Support, Aerodrome Tarbes-
Ossun-Lourdes, BP 930-F65009 Tarbes Cedex, France; telephone: (33) 
5.62.41.76.52; facsimile: (33) 5.62.41.76.54; or the Product Support 
Manager, SOCATA-Groupe AEROSPATIALE, North Perry Airport, 7501 Pembroke 
Road, Pembroke Pines, Florida 33023; telephone: (954) 893-1400; 
facsimile: (954) 964-4141. This information also may be examined at the 
Rules Docket at the address above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Karl Schletzbaum, 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-65-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. 95-CE-65-AD, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street, Kansas 
City, Missouri 64106.

Discussion

    The Direction Generale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC), which is the 
airworthiness authority for France, notified the FAA that an unsafe 
condition may exist on certain SOCATA TBM 700 airplanes. The DGAC 
reports several occurrences of cracks in the web of the left and right 
flap carriages on the above-referenced airplanes.
    Cracks in the flap carriages, if not detected and corrected, could 
result in loss of the flap function with consequent reduced and/or loss 
of airplane control.

[[Page 49882]]

Relevant Service Information

    SOCATA has issued Service Bulletin SB 70-048 57, Amendment 1, dated 
January 1995, which specifies procedures for inspecting the web of both 
the left and right flap carriages for cracks. This service bulletin 
also specifies either stop drilling a cracked flap carriage or 
replacing a cracked flap carriage with a part of improved design 
depending on the extent of the crack.
    The DGAC classified this service bulletin as mandatory and issued 
French AD 94-110(B)R1, dated March 15, 1995, in order to assure the 
continued airworthiness of these airplanes in France.

The FAA's Determination

    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.

Explanation of the Provisions of the Proposed AD

    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 FAA is proposing AD action. 
The proposed AD would require repetitively inspecting (using visual 
methods) the web of the left and right flap carriage for cracks, and 
replacing any cracked flap carriage with one of improved design. The 
proposed repetitive inspections would no longer be required on those 
flap carriages replaced with improved design parts.
    Accomplishment of the proposed inspections would be required in 
accordance with SOCATA Service Bulletin SB 70-048 57, Amendment 1, 
dated January 1995. The replacements, if necessary, would be 
accomplished in accordance with Chapter 57-50-03 of the applicable 
maintenance manual. The parts necessary are referenced in the service 
bulletin and are available from the manufacturer.

Cost Impact

    The FAA estimates that 44 airplanes in the U.S. registry would be 
affected by the proposed AD, that it would take approximately 3 
workhours per airplane to accomplish the proposed inspection, and that 
the average labor rate is approximately $60 an hour. Based on these 
figures, the total cost impact of the initial inspections specified in 
the proposed AD on U.S. operators is estimated to be $7,920, or $180 
per airplane.
    These figures only take into account the costs of the initial 
inspection and do not take into account the costs of any repetitive 
inspections or the costs of replacing any flap carriage found cracked. 
The FAA has no way of determining the number of repetitive inspections 
each owner/operator would incur over the life of the affected 
airplanes; or the number of flap carriages that would be found cracked 
during the inspections and need to be replaced.

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:

SOCATA-Groupe Aerospatiale: Docket No. 95-CE-65-AD.

    Applicability: Model TBM 700 airplanes, serial numbers 1 through 
92, 97, and 98; 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 as indicated in the body of this AD, unless 
already accomplished.
    To detect and correct cracks in a flap carriage, which could 
result in loss of the flap function with consequent reduced and/or 
loss of airplane control, accomplish the following:
    (a) Within the next 100 hours time-in-service (TIS) after the 
effective date of this AD, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 
100 hours TIS, inspect (using visual methods) the web of the left 
and right flap carriages (both the inboard and outboard carriages) 
for cracks. Accomplish these inspections in accordance with SOCATA 
Service Bulletin SB 70-048 57, Amendment 1, dated January 1995.
    (b) If any cracked flap carriage is found during any inspection 
required by this AD, prior to further flight, replace it with a 
carriage of improved design. Accomplish this replacement in 
accordance with Chapter 57-50-03 of the applicable maintenance 
manual. The parts necessary are referenced in SOCATA Service 
Bulletin SB 70-048 57, Amendment 1, dated January 1995, and are 
available from Socata at the address referenced in paragraph (e) of 
this AD.
    (1) Repetitive inspections will no longer be required on those 
flap carriages replaced with improved design parts.
    (2) Flap carriages may be replaced with improved design parts at 
any time (but must immediately be replaced if found cracked), as 
terminating action for the repetitive inspections of this AD.
    (c) Special flight permits may be issued in accordance with 
sections 21.197 and 21.199

[[Page 49883]]

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 
initial or repetitive compliance times that provides an equivalent 
level of safety may be approved by the Manager, Small Airplane 
Directorate, FAA, 1201 Walnut, suite 900, Kansas City, Missouri 
64106. The request shall be forwarded through an appropriate FAA 
Maintenance Inspector, who may add comments and then send it to the 
Manager, Small Airplane Directorate.

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

    (e) Questions or technical information related to SOCATA Service 
Bulletin SB 70-048 57, Amendment 1, dated January, 1995, should be 
directed to SOCATA Groupe AEROSPATIALE, Customer Support, Aerodrome 
Tarbes-Ossun-Lourdes, BP 930-F65009 Tarbes Cedex, France; telephone: 
(33) 5.62.41.76.52; facsimile: (33) 5.62.41.76.54; or the Product 
Support Manager, SOCATA-Groupe AEROSPATIALE, North Perry Airport, 
7501 Pembroke Road, Pembroke Pines, Florida 33023; telephone: (954) 
893-1400; facsimile: (954) 964-4141. This service information may be 
examined at the FAA, Central Region, Office of the Regional Counsel, 
Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106.

    Note 3: The subject of this AD is addressed in French AD 94-
110(B)R1, dated March 15, 1995.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on September 3, 1998.
Michael Gallagher,
Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 98-25004 Filed 9-17-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P