[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 132 (Monday, July 12, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 37471-37473]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-17552]



[[Page 37471]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 98-CE-113-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Overland Aviation Services Fire 
Extinguishing System Bottle Cartridges

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 Overland Aviation Services fire 
extinguishing system bottle cartridges that were distributed during a 
certain time period. The proposed AD would require removing from 
service any of these fire extinguishing system bottle cartridges. The 
proposed AD is the result of several incidents where the fire 
extinguishing system bottle cartridges activated with excessive 
energetic force. In one instance, the discharge valve outlet screen 
fractured and the screen material went through the distribution 
manifold. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to 
prevent damage to fire extinguishing system components caused by a fire 
extinguishing system bottle cartridge activating with excessive 
energetic force, which could result in the fire extinguishing system 
operating improperly.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 3, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in triplicate to the Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA), Central Region, Office of the Regional Counsel, 
Attention: Rules Docket No. 98-CE-113-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 Overland Aviation Services, 10271 Bach Boulevard, St. Louis, 
Missouri; telephone: (314) 428-2062; facsimile: (314) 428-3403. This 
information also may be examined at the Rules Docket at the address 
above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey D. Janusz, Aerospace Engineer, 
FAA, Wichita Aircraft Certification Office, 1801 Airport Road, Mid-
Continent Airport, Wichita, Kansas 67209; telephone: (316) 946-4148; 
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 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. 98-CE-113-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. 98-CE-113-AD, Room 1558, 601 E. 12th Street, Kansas 
City, Missouri 64106.

Discussion

    The FAA has received reports of several incidents where fire 
extinguishing system bottle cartridges that were manufactured by 
Overland Aviation Services activated with excessive energetic force. In 
one instance, the discharge valve outlet screen fractured and the 
screen material went through the distribution manifold.
    The fire extinguishing system bottle cartridges are considered 
critical parts. The fire extinguishing system is only required to 
function after a failure or series of failures have occurred and 
developed into the potential for a fire. In the above-referenced 
incidents, the fire extinguishing system could not be relied on because 
of the potential for damage to the fire extinguishing system components 
that could result from a cartridge activating with excessive energetic 
force. Overland Aviation Services distributed fire extinguishing system 
bottle cartridges that could incorporate this problem from April 1, 
1996, through September 15, 1997.

Relevant Service Information

    Overland Aviation Services issued Service Bulletin 22-09-97, not 
dated, which contains information pertaining to the above-referenced 
condition.

The FAA's Determination

    After examining the circumstances and reviewing all available 
information related to the incidents described above, the FAA has 
determined that AD action should be taken to prevent damage to fire 
extinguishing system components caused by a fire extinguishing system 
bottle cartridge activating with excessive energetic force, which could 
result in the fire extinguishing system operating improperly.

Explanation of the Provisions of the Proposed AD

    Since an unsafe condition has been identified that is likely to 
exist or develop in Overland Aviation Services fire extinguishing 
system bottle cartridges that were distributed from April 1, 1996, 
through September 15, 1997, the FAA is proposing AD action. The 
proposed AD would require removing from service any of these fire 
extinguishing system bottle cartridges.

Compliance Time of the Proposed AD

    The unsafe condition described in this proposed AD is not a direct 
result of aircraft operation. The fire extinguishing system bottle 
cartridges could activate with excessive energetic force the first time 
they are used during flight. This could occur on an aircraft with 50 
hours time-in-service (TIS) or an aircraft with 10,000 hours TIS. 
Therefore, to assure that the unsafe condition is corrected in a timely 
manner, the proposed AD is utilizing a compliance time of 120 days 
after the effective date of the AD.

Cost Impact

    The FAA estimates that 5,128 fire extinguishing system bottle 
cartridges would be affected by the proposed AD, that it would take 
approximately 8 workhours per cartridge to accomplish the proposed 
action, and that the average labor rate is approximately $60 an hour. 
Warranty credit from Overland Aviation Services will cover the cost of 
replacement cartridges. Based on these

[[Page 37472]]

figures, the total cost impact of the proposed AD on U.S. operators is 
estimated to be $2,461,440, or $480 per fire extinguishing system 
bottle cartridge.
    Overland Aviation Services reports that 2,100 parts have been 
removed from service. This reduces the cost impact of the proposed AD 
from $2,504,640, to $1,453,440.
    The number of cartridges utilized varies from airplane to airplane. 
The FAA has no way of determining which airplanes have the affected 
fire extinguishing system bottle cartridges incorporated. Therefore, 
the FAA has presented the cost impact of the proposed AD based upon the 
number of fire extinguishing system bottle cartridges manufactured 
instead of the number of airplanes affected.

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:

Overland Aviation Services: Docket No. 98-CE-113-AD.

    Applicability: The fire extinguishing system bottle cartridges 
presented below that were distributed from April 1, 1996, through 
September 15, 1997, and are installed on, but not limited to the 
following aircraft:

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                                  Walter Aerospace (WKA)
                                    fire extinguishing
Overland Aviation Services (OAS)   system (Firex) bottle      Make/model of             Cartridge lot No.
       cartridge part Nos.          assembly basic part    applicable aircraft
                                            No.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OA47200.........................  472073, 472420,         Aerospatiale ATR72     SBI 1-1
                                   472467, 897885,         Series ATR42-200, -   SBI 1-2
                                   897878, 899170.         300, - 320.
                                                          Embraer EMB-120
                                                           Series.
OA841155........................  898768, 890532,         Boeing 707-100, -100B  SBI 1-3
                                   890598, 890599,         Series, -300 Series,  OAS 1-2
                                   891070, 891147,         720B.
                                   891814, 893675,        McDonnell Douglas DC-
                                   892308.                 8, -8F Series.
                                                          Lockheed 382, 382E,
                                                           382F, 382G.
                                                          Sabreliner NA-265
                                                           Series.
                                                          Bell 204B.
OA873364........................  893523, 893524,         Gulfstream G-1159, G-  SBI 1-3
                                   893456, 893726,         1159B, G-1159A.
                                   472049, 472162,        Cessna 425, 441, 550,
                                   895353, 894703,         S550, 551, 552.
                                   472389, 472390,        Fokker F.28 Series.
                                   893572, 897770,
                                   898066, 898006.
                                                          SAAB 340 Series.
                                                          Bell 412.
OA873571........................  893244, 899827,         Boeing 707-100, -100B  SBI 2-2
                                   899927, 892807,         Series, -300 Series,
                                   892857.                 720B.
                                                          McDonnell Douglas DC-
                                                           8, -8F Series, DC-9
                                                           Series.
                                                          Lockheed 382, 382E,
                                                           382F, 382G.
OA876296........................  895240, 895678,         McDonnell Douglas DC-  SBI 1-1
                                   895683, 895564,         9-81, DC-9-82, DC-9-  OAS 1-1
                                   898150, 472603,         83, DC-10 Series.
                                   472602, 473598,        Airbus A300 Series.
                                   896054, 895877.
OA876299........................  895656, 895752,         Lockheed L-1011        SBI 1-1
                                   895848, 897785,         Series.
                                   897797, 897798,
                                   472268, 896166,
                                   896165.
OA897776........................  897869, 899486,         Canadair CL-600-1A11,  SBI 1-4
                                   897899, 897885,         CL-600-2A12, CL-600-  SBI 1-15
                                   899170, 472258,         2B16.                  SBI 1-16
                                   472428, 899074,        Embraer EMB-120, EMB-  OAS 1-1
                                   897775, 899066.         120RT
                                                          Sikorsky S-76A
                                                          SAAB 340 Series
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Note 1: Overland Aviation Services distributed the affected fire 
extinguishing system bottle cartridges from April 1, 1996, through 
September 15, 1997. Those cartridges incorporated on the aircraft 
prior to April 1, 1996, would not be affected by this AD. This AD 
allows the aircraft owner or pilot to check the maintenance records 
to determine whether the fire extinguishing system bottle cartridges 
were installed since April 1, 1996. See paragraph (d) of this AD for 
authorization.
    Note 2: Procurement records may show if the owner/operator has 
ever bought affected parts, for spares or time replacements, for 
airplane installation, or to support a repair shop. These could be 
cross-referenced to the lots that are suspect. Additionally, a 
review of procurement records with respect to the part number, lot 
number, and distribution date of the suspect lots would also reduce 
the

[[Page 37473]]

owners'/operators' workload of having to examine all applicable Air 
Transport Association (ATA) codes in the databases. A search of the 
maintenance/inspection records and logbooks of a specific airplane 
make and model and serial number could be beneficial.
    Note 3: The fire extinguishing system parts are installed up to 
a hex wrenching flat on the cartridge body. These wrenching flats 
have the part number, lot number, and date of manufacture stamped on 
them, as well as safety wire holes. When installed, the safety wire 
will probably cover up at least one bit of the above information. 
Inspecting the wrenching flats could help determine whether the fire 
extinguishing system bottle cartridges contain an affected part 
number or lot number.
    Note 4: This AD applies to each aircraft that incorporates one 
of the fire extinguishing system bottle cartridges identified in the 
preceding applicability provision, regardless of whether the 
aircraft has been modified, altered, or repaired in the area subject 
to the requirements of this AD. For aircraft 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 (f) 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.

    Note 5: ``Unless already accomplished'' credit may be extended 
to the records check allowed by this AD provided that the records 
are checked to cover any time period that has elapsed since the 
previous check.

    To prevent damage to fire extinguishing system components caused 
by a fire extinguishing system bottle cartridge activating with 
excessive energetic force, which could result in the fire 
extinguishing system operating improperly, accomplish the following:
    (a) Within the next 120 calendar days after the effective date 
of this AD, remove from service any fire extinguishing system bottle 
cartridge referenced in the Applicability section of this AD, and 
replace it with an FAA-approved fire extinguishing system bottle 
cartridge that is not of the affected part numbers.
    (b) As of the effective date of this AD, no person shall 
install, on any aircraft, any affected Overland Aviation Services 
fire extinguishing system bottle cartridge that was distributed from 
April 1, 1996, through September 15, 1997.
    (c) The FAA requests that any fire extinguishing system bottle 
cartridge removed from service that has not been fired or cartridges 
that are held in inventory be sent to the manufacturer for analysis. 
Contact Jeff Janusz, Aerospace Engineer, at the FAA,Wichita Aircraft 
Certification Office (ACO), for shipping instructions; telephone: 
(316) 946-4148; e:mail: [email protected]. 
    (d) The owner/operator holding at least a private pilot 
certificate as authorized by section 43.7 of the Federal Aviation 
Regulations (14 CFR 43.7) may check the maintenance records to 
determine whether any of the affected fire extinguishing system 
bottle cartridges were installed since April 1, 1996. If an affected 
fire extinguishing system bottle cartridge was installed prior to 
April 1, 1996, the AD does not apply and the owner/operator must 
make an entry into the aircraft records showing compliance with this 
AD in accordance with section 43.9 of the Federal Aviation 
Regulations (14 CFR 43.9).
    (e) 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.
    (f) An alternative method of compliance or adjustment of the 
compliance times that provides an equivalent level of safety may be 
approved by the Manager, Wichita ACO, 1801 Airport Road, Room 100, 
Mid-Continent Airport, 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 6: Information concerning the existence of approved 
alternative methods of compliance with this AD, if any, may be 
obtained from the Wichita ACO.

    (g) All persons affected by this directive may obtain copies of 
the documents referred to herein upon request to Overland Aviation 
Services, 10271 Bach Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri; or may examine 
these documents 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 July 2, 1999.
Marvin R. Nuss,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-17552 Filed 7-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P