[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 245 (Tuesday, December 22, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 70698-70700]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-33790]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 245 / Tuesday, December 22, 1998 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 70698]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. 95-CE-91-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; AlliedSignal Inc. VN 411B Very High
Frequency (VHF) Navigation Receivers
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); Reopening of
the comment period.
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SUMMARY: This document proposes to revise an earlier proposed
airworthiness directive (AD) that would have required replacing certain
AlliedSignal Inc. VN 411B VHF navigation receivers installed on
aircraft if the receivers do not have Modification 20 incorporated. The
proposed AD was the result of a report of navigation receiver
interference during landing operations. The actions specified by the
proposed AD are intended to prevent VHF navigation receiver
interference from frequency modulation (FM) radio station broadcasts,
which could cause distortion of the navigation audio and deflection of
the desired flight path of the airplane during landing operations with
possible loss of control of the airplane. Since issuing the NPRM, the
applicable service information has been revised to incorporate
additional procedures for modifying the affected navigation receivers
(Modification 21). The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has
determined that these procedures are necessary to correct the unsafe
condition; that the revised service information should be incorporated
into the proposed AD; and that the comment period for the proposal
should be reopened and the public should have additional time to
comment.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 15, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments in triplicate to the FAA, Central Region,
Office of the Regional Counsel, Attention: Rules Docket No. 95-CE-91-
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 AlliedSignal, Inc. 23500 W. 105th Street, Olathe, Kansas 66051-
1950. This information also may be examined at the Rules Docket at the
address above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Roger Souter, Aerospace Engineer,
FAA, Wichita Aircraft Certification Office, 1801 Airport Road, Room
100, Wichita, Kansas 67209; telephone: (316) 946-4134, facsimile: (316)
946-4407.
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 supplemental 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 supplemental notice must submit a self-
addressed, stamped postcard on which the following statement is made:
``Comments to Docket No. 95-CE-91-AD.'' The postcard will be date
stamped and returned to the commenter.
Availability of Supplemental NPRM's
Any person may obtain a copy of this supplemental NPRM by
submitting a request to the FAA, Central Region, Office of the Regional
Counsel, Attention: Rules Docket No. 95-CE-91-AD, Room 1558, 601 E.
12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106.
Discussion
A proposal to amend part 39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14
CFR part 39) to include an AD that would apply to certain AlliedSignal
Inc. VN 411B very high frequency (VHF) navigation receivers installed
in aircraft was published in the Federal Register as a notice of
proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on June 11, 1996 (61 FR 29499). The NPRM
proposed to require replacing any VHF navigation receiver that does not
have Modification 20 incorporated with one where an AlliedSignal
Bendix/King-owned service center has incorporated Modification 20.
Accomplishment of the proposed action as specified in the NPRM would be
required in accordance with Bendix/King Service Bulletin VN 411B-20,
dated January 1996.
The NPRM was the result of a report of navigation receiver
interference during landing operations. Modification 20 incorporates
the standards, intermodulation, and desensitization that were deemed
necessary to meet International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
compliance.
Interested persons have been afforded an opportunity to participate
in the making of this amendment. No comments were received on the
proposed rule or the FAA's determination of the cost to the public.
Events Since Issuance of the NPRM
Since issuance of the NPRM, Allied Signal has informed the FAA that
features of Modification 20 fail to consider spurious responses that
may occur at strong FM broadcast signal levels. Based on this, Allied
Signal has issued Service Bulletin No. SB VN 411B-21, dated November
1996. This service bulletin includes procedures for incorporating
modifications that account for all the necessary features of
Modification 20 and the features necessary to prevent spurious
responses that may occur at strong FM broadcast signal levels. This is
known as Modification 21.
[[Page 70699]]
The FAA's Determination
After examining all information related to the subject described in
this document, the FAA has determined that:
--Modification 21 should be required on aircraft equipped with the
affected VHF navigation receivers required to conform to ICAO
standards, and that Allied Signal Service Bulletin No. SB VN 411B-21,
dated November 1996, should be incorporated into the AD; and
--AD action should be taken to incorporate these changes to
continue to prevent VHF navigation receiver interference from FM radio
station broadcasts, which could cause distortion of the navigation
audio and deflection of the desired flight path of the airplane during
landing operations with possible loss of control of the airplane.
The Supplemental NPRM
Since adding the requirement of incorporating Modification 21 on
the affected VHF navigation receivers proposes actions that go beyond
the scope of what was already proposed, the FAA is reopening the
comment period to allow the public additional time to comment on this
proposed action.
Cost Impact
The FAA estimates that 19 VHF navigation receivers in the U.S.
registry would be affected by the proposed AD, that it would take
approximately 2 workhours per receiver to accomplish the proposed
action, and that the average labor rate is approximately $60 an hour.
The manufacturer is not charging the owner/operator for exchanging the
navigation receiver unit and is offering 2 workhours of labor warranty
credit to accomplish the proposed action. Based on these figures, the
proposed AD imposes no cost impact on U.S. operators. The FAA has no
way of determining if any of the affected airplanes have navigation
receivers with Modification 21 incorporated.
Compliance Time of The Proposed AD
The condition specified by the proposed AD is not caused by actual
hours time-in-service (TIS) of the aircraft where the affected VHF
navigation receivers are installed. The need for replacing the VHF
navigation receiver with one that incorporates hardware modifications
has no correlation to the number of times the equipment is utilized or
the age of the equipment. For this reason, the compliance time of the
proposed AD is presented in calendar time instead of hours TIS.
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:
AlliedSignal Inc.: Docket No. 95-CE-91-AD.
Applicability: The following very high frequency (VHF)
navigation receivers that are installed on, but not limited to,
Learjet Model 31A, Fokker Model F27-50, and British Aerospace Model
ATP airplanes:
--VN 411B, BPN 3614004-4101, all serial numbers, that are
currently at Modification Status 18, 19, or 20;
--VN 411B, BPN/KPN 3614004-4101/066-1101-00, all serial numbers,
that are currently at Modification Status 18, 19, or 20;
--VN 411B, P/N 066-1101-00, serial numbers up to and including
4229, that are currently at Modification Status 18, 19, or 20; and
--VN 411B, P/N 066-1101-/31/40/50, serial numbers up to and
including 10799, that are currently at Modification Status 19 or 20.
Note 1: This AD applies to each airplane identified in the
preceding applicability provision that is equipped with one of the
affected VHF navigation receivers, regardless of whether the
airplane 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 prevent VHF navigation receiver interference from frequency
modulation (FM) radio station broadcast frequencies, which could
cause distortion of the navigation audio and deflection of the
desired flight path of the airplane during landing operations with
possible loss of control of the airplane, accomplish the following:
(a) Within the next 90 calendar days after the effective date of
this AD or upon replacement or repair of any affected AlliedSignal
VHF navigation receiver, whichever occurs first, remove the
navigation receiver and install one where an AlliedSignal Bendix/
King service center has incorporated Modification 21, in accordance
with AlliedSignal Bendix/King Service Bulletin VN 411B-21, dated
November 1996.
(b) As of the effective date of this AD, no person may install,
on any airplane, one of the affected VHF navigation receivers that
does not have Modification 21 incorporated in accordance with
AlliedSignal Bendix/King Service Bulletin VN 411B-21, dated November
1996.
(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, Wichita Aircraft Certification Office
(ACO), 1801 Airport Road, Room 100, Wichita, Kansas 67209. The
request shall be forwarded through an appropriate FAA Maintenance
Inspector, who may add comments and then send it to the Manager,
Wichita ACO.
Note 2: Information concerning the existence of approved
alternative methods of compliance with this AD, if any, may be
obtained from the Wichita ACO.
(e) All persons affected by this directive may obtain copies of
the documents referred to herein upon request to AlliedSignal, Inc.,
[[Page 70700]]
23500 W. 105th Street, Olathe, Kansas 66051-1950; or may examine
this document at the FAA, Central Region, Office of the Regional
Counsel, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106.
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on December 15, 1998.
Michael Gallagher,
Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 98-33790 Filed 12-21-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P