[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 183 (Tuesday, September 22, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 50514-50516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-25145]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 96-NM-270-AD; Amendment 39-10787; AD 98-20-21]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; McDonnell Douglas Model DC-9-80 Series 
Airplanes Equipped With Heath Tecna Aerospace Extended Spacial Concept 
Interior III Installed in Accordance With Supplemental Type Certificate 
SA4744NM

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD), 
applicable to certain McDonnell Douglas DC-9-80 series airplanes, that 
requires an inspection to detect discrepancies of electrical plugs and 
receptacles of the sidewall lighting system in the passenger cabin, and 
to verify that the ends of all pins and sockets are even and that they 
are seated and locked into place. This amendment also requires 
replacement of any discrepant part with a new part, and modification of 
the electrical wiring and connectors of the sidewall lighting system in 
the passenger cabin. This amendment is prompted by reports of failures 
of the electrical connectors in the sidewall fluorescent lighting, 
which resulted in smoke or lighting interruption in the passenger 
cabin. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent 
failures of the electrical connectors, which could result in poor 
socket/pin contact, excessive heat, electrical arcing, and 
consequently, connector burnthrough and smoke in the passenger cabin.

DATES: Effective October 27, 1998.
    The incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in 
the regulations is approved by the Director of the Federal Register as 
of October 27, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The service information referenced in this AD may be 
obtained from Hexcel Interiors (formerly Heath Tecna Aerospace), 3225 
Woburn Street, Bellingham, Washington 98226. This information may be 
examined at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Transport 
Airplane Directorate, Rules Docket, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, 
Washington; or at the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol 
Street, NW., suite 700, Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen S. Oshiro, Aerospace Engineer, 
Systems and Equipment Branch, ANM-130S, FAA, Seattle Aircraft 
Certification Office, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington; 
telephone (206) 227-2793; fax (206) 227-1181.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A proposal to amend part 39 of the Federal 
Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39) to include an airworthiness 
directive (AD) that is applicable to certain McDonnell Douglas DC-9-80 
series airplanes was published in the Federal Register on April 24, 
1997 (62 FR 19946). That action proposed to require an inspection to 
detect discrepancies of electrical plugs and receptacles of the 
sidewall lighting system in the passenger cabin, and to verify that the 
ends of all pins and sockets are even and that they are seated and 
locked into place. That action also proposed to require replacement of 
any discrepant part with a new part, and modification of the electrical 
wiring and connectors of the sidewall lighting system in the passenger 
cabin.
    Interested persons have been afforded an opportunity to participate 
in the making of this amendment. Due consideration has been given to 
the comments received.
    One commenter supports the proposal.
    One commenter states that it does not own any of the affected 
airplanes and, therefore, is unaffected by the proposed rule.

Requests To Withdraw the Proposal

    The Air Transport Association (ATA) of America states that a member 
airline will have accomplished the modification within the compliance 
times specified in AD 95-08-04, amendment 39-9193 (60 FR 19348, dated 
April 18, 1995), and that the proposal is duplicative in nature. (AD 
95-08-04 is applicable to Model DC-9-80 series airplanes and Model MD-
88 airplanes, as listed in McDonnell Douglas MD-80 Service Bulletin 33-
99, dated May 24, 1994.) The commenter states that it already initiated 
plans to accomplish the modification requirements on all of the 
affected airplanes in its fleet. The FAA infers from this statement 
that the commenters do not consider that the actions required by the 
proposed rule are necessary and that the commenters request the 
proposed AD be withdrawn.
    The applicability in AD 95-08-04 did not include those airplanes 
modified in accordance with Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) 
SA4744NM. Therefore, although the commenter has chosen to comply with 
the requirement for the

[[Page 50515]]

modification specified by this AD (which is identical to the 
modification required by AD 95-08-04), it is still necessary to issue 
this AD to address the identified unsafe condition for airplanes 
modified in accordance with STC SA4744NM.

Request To Evaluate Other Electrical Connectors

    The Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) supports the proposal and 
accomplishment of the modification of the connectors of the side wall 
lighting to minimize the possibility of connector failure that could 
cause arcing. However, ALPA is concerned that other electrical 
connectors may be susceptible to the same failure mode as the 
discrepant connectors identified in the proposed AD. For this reason, 
ALPA requests the FAA to evaluate the other connectors.
    The FAA acknowledges the concerns of the commenter. However, the 
FAA does not consider it necessary to evaluate other electrical 
connectors on these airplanes because it has received no information of 
a recurring problem on other electrical connectors. In addition, the 
FAA does not consider that this AD is the appropriate context in which 
to address this concern because the suggested evaluations would alter 
the actions currently required by this AD, and additional rulemaking 
would be required. In light of the identified unsafe condition, the FAA 
finds that to delay this action would be inappropriate. No change has 
been made to the final rule.

Limiting the Applicability

    Since the issuance of the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), the 
FAA finds that it is necessary to revise the final rule to reflect a 
change in the applicability. After issuance of the NPRM, the FAA 
approved Revision C, dated October 27, 1997, of Heath Tecna Drawing 
List HPD-DL-34. (Revision A, dated March 7, 1989, and Revision B, dated 
February 16, 1990, are considered to be FAA-approved drawing lists for 
installation of the Heath Techna Aerospace Extended Spacial Concept 
Interior III, approved under STC SA4744NM.) Revision C incorporates 
corrective design changes into the ESCI III electrical installation 
such that the potential unsafe condition is eliminated. Therefore, if 
the actions specified by Revision C have been accomplished, it is 
unnecessary to comply with the requirements of this AD. In light of 
this, the applicability of this final rule has been revised to include 
only those airplanes on which the installation was accomplished in 
accordance with Revision A or B of the previously referenced drawing 
list, and to exclude those airplanes on which the installation was 
accomplished in accordance with Revision C of the drawing list.

Conclusion

    After careful review of the available data, including the comments 
noted above, the FAA has determined that air safety and the public 
interest require the adoption of the rule with the changes described 
previously. The FAA has determined that these changes will neither 
increase the economic burden on any operator nor increase the scope of 
the AD.

Cost Impact

    There are approximately 28 McDonnell Douglas Model DC-9-80 series 
airplanes of the affected design in the worldwide fleet. The FAA 
estimates that 28 airplanes of U.S. registry will be affected by this 
AD, that it will take approximately 75 work hours (which includes 
access and functional check) per airplane to accomplish the required 
actions, and that the average labor rate is $60 per work hour. Required 
parts will cost approximately $1,700 per airplane. Based on these 
figures, the cost impact of the AD on U.S. operators is estimated to be 
$173,600, or $6,200 per airplane.
    The cost impact figure discussed above is based on assumptions that 
no operator has yet accomplished any of the requirements of this AD 
action, and that no operator would accomplish those actions in the 
future if this AD were not adopted.

Regulatory Impact

    The regulations adopted herein will 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 final 
rule does 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) 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 final evaluation has been prepared for this action 
and it is contained in the Rules Docket. A copy of it may be obtained 
from the Rules Docket at the location provided under the caption 
ADDRESSES.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

    Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by 
reference, Safety.

Adoption of the Amendment

    Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the Federal Aviation Administration amends 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 the following new 
airworthiness directive:

98-20-21  McDonnell Douglas: Amendment 39-10787. Docket 96-NM-270-
AD.

    Applicability: Model DC-9-80 series airplanes, equipped with 
Heath Tecna Aerospace Extended Spacial Concept Interior III 
installed in accordance with Revision A, dated March 7, 1989, or 
Revision B, dated February 16, 1990, of Heath Tecna Drawing List 
HPD-DL-34, as approved under Supplemental Type Certificate SA4744NM; 
certificated in any category. This AD does not apply to airplanes on 
which Heath Tecna Aerospace Extended Spacial Concept Interior III 
was installed in accordance with Revision C, dated October 27, 1997, 
of Heath Tecna Drawing List HPD-DL-34.

    Note 1: This AD applies to each airplane identified in the 
preceding applicability provision, regardless of whether it has been 
otherwise 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 (b) 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, unless accomplished 
previously.
    To prevent failures of the electrical connectors, which could 
result in poor socket/pin contact, excessive heat, electrical 
arcing, and consequently, connector burnthrough and smoke in the 
passenger cabin, accomplish the following:
    (a) Within 12 months after the effective date of this AD, 
accomplish paragraph (a)(1)

[[Page 50516]]

and (a)(2) of this AD, in accordance with Heath Tecna Service 
Bulletin H0655-33-01, dated March 28, 1996.
    (1) Perform a visual inspection to detect discrepancies (i.e., 
damage, burn marks, and black or brown discoloration) of the 
electrical plugs and receptacles of the sidewall lighting system in 
the passenger cabin, and to verify that the ends of all pins and 
sockets are even and that they are seated and locked into place, in 
accordance with the service bulletin. If any discrepancy is 
detected, prior to further flight, replace the discrepant part with 
a new part in accordance with the service bulletin.
    (2) Modify the electrical wiring and connectors of the sidewall 
lighting system in the passenger cabin in accordance with paragraph 
2.H. of the Accomplishment Instructions of the service bulletin.
    (b) An alternative method of compliance or adjustment of the 
compliance time that provides an acceptable level of safety may be 
used if approved by the Manager, Seattle Aircraft Certification 
Office (ACO), FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate. Operators shall 
submit their requests through an appropriate FAA Principal 
Maintenance Inspector, who may add comments and then send it to the 
Manager, Seattle ACO.

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

    (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) The actions shall be done in accordance with Heath Tecna 
Service Bulletin H0655-33-01, dated March 28, 1996. This 
incorporation by reference was approved by the Director of the 
Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 
51. Copies may be obtained from Hexcel Interiors (formerly Heath 
Tecna Aerospace), 3225 Woburn Street, Bellingham, Washington 98226. 
Copies may be inspected at the FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, 
1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington; or at the Office of the 
Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW., suite 700, 
Washington, DC.
    (e) This amendment becomes effective on October 27, 1998.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on September 15, 1998.
Darrell M. Pederson,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-25145 Filed 9-21-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-U