[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 214 (Tuesday, November 5, 2002)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 67297-67299]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-28052]



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  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 214 / Tuesday, November 5, 2002 / 
Rules and Regulations  

[[Page 67297]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 2000-CE-13-AD; Amendment 39-12939; AD 2002-22-13]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Rockwell Collins, Inc. FMC-4200, FMC-
5000, and FMC-6000 Flight Management Computers

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) that 
applies to certain Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rockwell Collins) FMC-4200, 
FMC-5000, and FMC-6000 flight management computers (FMC) that are 
installed on airplanes. This AD requires you to remove the affected FMC 
unit and replace it with a new FMC unit or an FMC unit that has been 
modified to correct a problem with the flight management system (FMS) 
accepting new information when an existing procedure or flight plan is 
changed. This AD is the result of a report that an aircraft proceeded 
beyond the published altitude constraint on an arrival procedure. The 
actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent the FMC from 
retaining and displaying original altitude constraints when an edit or 
a replacement is made to a procedure or flight plan that shares a 
waypoint with another procedure or an airway, and there is an altitude 
constraint on the shared waypoint. Such a condition could cause the 
pilot to fly the airplane out of the range of the correct altitude 
constraint. This condition could result in air traffic control or the 
pilot making flight decisions that put the airplane in unsafe flight 
conditions.

DATES: This AD becomes effective on December 20, 2002.

ADDRESSES: You may get the service information referenced in this AD 
from Rockwell Collins, Business and Regional Systems, 400 Collins Road 
Northeast, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52498; telephone: (319) 295-2512; 
facsimile: (319) 295-5064. You may view this information at the Federal 
Aviation Administration (FAA), Central Region, Office of the Regional 
Counsel, Attention: Rules Docket No. 2000-CE-13-AD, 901 Locust, Room 
506, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; or at the Office of the Federal 
Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW., Suite 700, Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roger A. Souter, FAA, Wichita Aircraft 
Certification Office (ACO), 1801 Airport Road, Rm 100, Wichita, Kansas 
67209; telephone: (316) 946-4134; facsimile: (316) 946-4407. E-mail 
address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

    What events have caused this AD? The FAA received a report of an 
incident that occurred during a flight arriving in Toronto, Ontario. A 
change in the flight management computer (FMC) had been made to the 
original flight plan changing the altitude constraint to 8,000 feet-
11,000 feet. However, the flight management system (FMS) retained the 
altitude constraint of the original flight plan of 10,000 feet-14,000 
feet. The pilot was unaware of this situation occurring, which resulted 
in the descent of the airplane beyond the published altitude constraint 
on the arrival procedure.
    When the FMC is operating correctly and a change is made, the FMS 
allows the pilot to delete information associated with a procedure or 
flight plan by deleting the procedure or by replacing the procedure.
    Rockwell Collins FMC-4200, FMC-5000, and FMC-6000 flight management 
computers could be installed on, but not limited to, the following 
aircraft:
    [sbull] Raytheon Model Beechjet 400A and Model 400T (T-1A) 
airplanes;
    [sbull] Bombardier Model CL-600-2B19 Regional Jet Series 100 
airplanes; and
    [sbull] Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 (variant CL-604) airplanes.
    What is the potential impact if FAA took no action? As described 
above, such erroneous altitude constraints retained by the FMS could 
cause the pilot to fly the airplane out of the range of the correct 
altitude constraint. This condition could result in air traffic control 
or the pilot making flight decisions that put the airplane in unsafe 
flight conditions.
    Has FAA taken any action to this point? We issued a proposal to 
amend part 39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39) to 
include an AD that would apply to Rockwell Collins FMC-4200, FMC-5000, 
and FMC-6000 flight management computers (FMC) that are installed on 
airplanes. This proposal was published in the Federal Register as a 
notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on July 10, 2002 (67 FR 45678). 
The NPRM proposed to require you to remove the affected FMC unit and 
replace it with a new FMC unit or an FMC unit that has been modified to 
correct a problem with the flight management system (FMS) accepting new 
information when an existing procedure or flight plan is changed.
    Was the public invited to comment? The FAA encouraged interested 
persons to participate in the making of this amendment. The following 
presents the comments received on the proposal and FAA's response to 
each comment:

Comment Issue No. 1: List Affected FMC Units by Part Numbers in 
Addition to Model Number

    What is the commenter's concern? Two commenters state that there 
are numerous part numbers associated with each FMC model number that 
are not affected by the proposed AD. The commenters state that only 
seven part numbers are actually affected by the proposed AD as 
specified in Rockwell Collins Operator Bulletin 99-11, dated September 
1999. The way the proposed AD is currently written, an owner/operator 
of an aircraft with any of the specified model FMCs installed would be 
subject to the proposed AD. Therefore, adding specific affected part 
numbers in the AD will significantly reduce the burden on owners/
operators of aircraft equipped with the specified FMC model.
    What is FAA's response to the concern? We concur with the 
commenters and will clearly identify the seven affected FMC part 
numbers in the AD.

[[Page 67298]]

Comment Issue No. 2: Remove the Manufacturer's Service Bulletins From 
the Procedures Requirements of the Proposed AD and List Acceptable 
Replacement FMC Part Numbers

    What is the commenter's concern? The corrective action required is 
to modify the affected FMC unit. Only a Rockwell Collins Service Center 
is authorized to modify (rework) the affected FMC units. The 
modification includes changing the FMC part number when the unit is 
reworked. Therefore, it is irrelevant whether an owner/operator has a 
reworked unit or a newly manufactured unit installed provided the part 
number is correct.
    What is FAA's response to the concern? We concur with the 
commenters and will include a list of acceptable replacement part 
numbers in the proposed AD. We will not reference the individual 
service bulletins in the AD.

Comment Issue No. 3: Add a Note in the AD Alerting Owners/Operators 
That Certain FMC Part Numbers Affect Other Installed Avionics Units

    What is the commenter's concern? The commenter states that all of 
the FMC corrective actions involve a change in the FMC part number. 
Before a part number has been certified for installation on the 
particular aircraft, through either the Type Certification or 
Supplemental Type Certification process, you should also determine 
whether additional avionics units need to be upgraded at the same time 
to be compatible with the selected FMC part number. The commenter 
suggests that a note to this effect be included in the AD.
    What is FAA's response to the concern? We concur with the commenter 
and will include a note in the AD to address this concern.

FAA's Determination

    What is FAA's final determination on this issue? After careful 
review of all available information related to the subject presented 
above, we have determined that air safety and the public interest 
require the adoption of the rule as proposed except for the additions 
discussed previously and minor editorial corrections. We have 
determined that these additions and minor corrections:
    [sbull] Provide the intent that was proposed in the NPRM for 
correcting the unsafe condition; and
    [sbull] Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was 
already proposed in the NPRM.

Cost Impact

    How many airplanes does this AD impact? We estimate that 700 
affected Rockwell Collins FMC-4200, FMC-5000, and FMC-6000 flight 
management computers could be installed on airplanes in the U.S. 
registry. Some airplanes have more than one unit installed.
    What is the cost impact of this AD on owners/operators of the 
affected airplanes? We estimate the following costs to accomplish the 
modification:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Total cost
            Labor cost                   Parts cost        per FMC unit
------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 workhours per FMC unit X $60 per  $500 per FMC unit...            $740
 hour = $240..
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Compliance Time of This AD

    What would be the compliance time of this AD? The compliance time 
of this AD is ``within the next 24 calendar months after the effective 
date of this AD, unless already accomplished.''
    Why is the compliance time presented in calendar time instead of 
hours time-in-service (TIS)? The compliance of this AD is presented in 
calendar time instead of hours TIS because the condition exists 
regardless of airplane operation. The FMS retention of invalid altitude 
constraint information could occur regardless of the number of times 
and hours the airplane was operated. For these reasons, FAA has 
determined that a compliance based on calendar time should be utilized 
in this AD in order to ensure that the unsafe condition is addressed in 
a reasonable time period on all airplanes that have an affected 
Rockwell FMC-4200, FMC-5000, or FMC-6000 flight management computer 
installed.

Regulatory Impact

    Does this AD impact various entities? The regulations adopted 
herein will not have a substantial direct effect 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, it is determined that this final rule does not 
have federalism implications under Executive Order 13132.
    Does this AD involve a significant rule or regulatory action? 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 copy 
of the final evaluation prepared for this action is contained 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.

Adoption of the Amendment

    Accordingly, under 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. FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding a new AD to read as follows:

2002-22-13 Rockwell Collins, Inc.: Amendment 39-12939; Docket No. 
2000-CE-13-AD.

    (a) What airplanes are affected by this AD? This AD affects 
Rockwell Collins flight management computers (FMC) specified in 
paragraph (a)(1) that are installed on, but not limited to, the 
aircraft specified in paragraph (a)(2).
    (1) Rockwell Collins flight management computers: The following 
presents the affected FMC models and part numbers:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Affected FMC
                Affected FMC model No.                  Collins part No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FMC-4200..............................................      822-0783-002
FMC-4200..............................................      822-0783-006
FMC-4200..............................................      822-0783-010
FMC-5000..............................................      822-0891-001
FMC-6000..............................................      822-0868-004
FMC-6000..............................................      822-0868-010
FMC-6000..............................................      822-0868-021
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (2) Affected airplanes: The following presents a list of 
aircraft (certificated in any

[[Page 67299]]

category) that the affected Rockwell Collins FMC units are installed 
on (other airplanes could have the installation):

------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Type certificate holder                Affected airplanes
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Raytheon............................  Model Beechjet 400A and Model 400T
                                       (T-1A).
Bombardier..........................  Model CL-600-2B19 Regional Jet
                                       Series 100 and Model CL-600-2B16
                                       (variant CL-604).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (b) Who must comply with this AD? Anyone who wishes to operate 
an aircraft equipped with one of the affected FMCs must comply with 
this AD.
    (c) What problem does this AD address? The actions specified by 
this AD are intended to prevent the FMC from retaining original 
information when an edit is made to a procedure or flight plan. Such 
a condition could cause the pilot to fly the airplane out of the 
range of the correct altitude constraint. This condition could 
result in air traffic control or the pilot making flight decisions 
that put the airplane in unsafe flight conditions.
    (d) What actions must I accomplish to address this problem? To 
address this problem, you must accomplish the following:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Actions                             Compliance
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Remove the affected FMC unit         Within the next 24 calendar
 specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this    months after December 20, 2002
 AD and install a modified or new FMC     (the effective date of this
 unit (as specified in paragraph (e) of   AD), unless already
 this AD) in accordance with the          accomplished.
 applicable maintenance manual.
(2) Do not install, on any aircraft, an  As of December 20, 2002 (the
 affected FMC unit specified in           effective date of this AD).
 paragraph (a)(1) of this AD that has
 not been modified to the replacement
 part number specified in paragraph (e)
 of this AD.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Note 1: When selecting a replacement FMC part number, determine 
if the part number has been certified for installation on the 
particular aircraft through either the Type Certification or 
Supplemental Type Certification process. Also, determine whether 
additional avionics units must be upgraded at the same time to be 
compatible with the selected replacement FMC part number.

    (e) What are the acceptable replacement FMC part numbers?

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Acceptable replacement FMC part
         FMC affected part No.                         No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
822-0783-002..........................  822-0783-011 or 822-0783-013
822-0783-006..........................  822-0783-011 or 822-0783-013
822-0783-010..........................  822-0783-011 or 822-0783-013
822-0891-001..........................  822-0891-005 or 822-0891-008
822-0868-004..........................  822-0868-029, 822-0868-030, 822-
                                         0868-031, or 822-0868-032
822-0868-010..........................  822-0868-029, 822-0868-030, 822-
                                         0868-031, or 822-0868-032
822-0868-021..........................  822-0868-029, 822-0868-030, 822-
                                         0868-031, or 822-0868-032
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (f) Can I comply with this AD in any other way? You may use an 
alternative method of compliance or adjust the compliance time if:
    (1) Your alternative method of compliance provides an equivalent 
level of safety; and
    (2) The Manager, Wichita Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), 
approves your alternative. Submit your request through an FAA 
Principal Maintenance Inspector, who may add comments and then send 
it to the Manager, Wichita ACO.

    Note 2: This AD applies to each airplane identified in paragraph 
(a) of this AD, 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 (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 you have not eliminated the unsafe condition, specific 
actions you propose to address it.

    (g) Where can I get information about any already-approved 
alternative methods of compliance? Contact Roger A. Souter, FAA, 
Wichita Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), 1801 Airport Road, Rm 
100, Wichita, Kansas 67209; telephone: (316) 946-4134; facsimile: 
(316) 946-4407. E-mail address: [email protected].
    (h) What if I need to fly the airplane to another location to 
comply with this AD? The FAA can issue a special flight permit under 
sections 21.197 and 21.199 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 
CFR 21.197 and 21.199) to operate your airplane to a location where 
you can accomplish the requirements of this AD.
    (i) When does this amendment become effective? This amendment 
becomes effective on December 20, 2002.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 28, 2002.
Michael Gallagher,
Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 02-28052 Filed 11-4-02; 8:45 am]
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