[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 64 (Thursday, April 3, 2003)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 16195-16197]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7746]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 2002-CE-56-AD; Amendment 39-13102; AD 2003-07-06]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; British Aerospace Model HP.137 
Jetstream Mk.1, Jetstream Series 200, Jetstream Series 3101, and 
Jetstream Model 3201 Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) that 
applies to all British Aerospace Model HP.137 Jetstream Mk.1, Jetstream 
Series 200, Jetstream Series 3101, and Jetstream Model 3201 airplanes. 
This AD requires you to inspect the steering jack piston rod for cracks 
and replace if necessary; measure the torque setting of the steering 
jack piston rod end fitting and stop bolt; and measure the thickness of 
the tab washers. This AD also requires you to calculate a new safe life 
limit for the steering jack piston rod based on the results of the 
inspection and the measurements. This AD is the result of mandatory 
continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the airworthiness 
authority for the United Kingdom. The actions specified by this AD are 
intended to detect, correct, and prevent cracks in the steering jack 
piston rod, which could result in failure of the steering jack piston 
rod. Such failure could lead to loss of steering control of the 
airplane during takeoff, landing, and taxi operations.

DATES: This AD becomes effective on May 22, 2003.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of certain publications listed in the regulations as of May 
22, 2003.

ADDRESSES: You may get the service information referenced in this AD 
from British Aerospace Regional Aircraft, Prestwick International 
Airport, Ayrshire, KA9 2RW, Scotland; telephone: (01292) 672345; 
facsimile: (01292) 671625. You may view this information at the Federal 
Aviation Administration (FAA), Central Region, Office of the Regional 
Counsel, Attention: Rules Docket No. 2002-CE-56-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: Doug Rudolph, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, 
Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 
64106; telephone: (816) 329-4059; facsimile: (816) 329-4090.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

What Events Have Caused This AD?

    The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which is the airworthiness 
authority for the United Kingdom, recently notified FAA that an unsafe 
condition may exist on all British Aerospace Model HP.137 Jetstream 
Mk.1, Jetstream Series 200, Jetstream Series 3101, and Jetstream Model 
3201 airplanes. The CAA reports that the steering jack piston rod 
failed on one of the affected airplanes while in service. The CAA 
determined that the failure of the piston rod was caused by fatigue 
cracking on the piston rod end fitting. Fatigue cracking was caused by 
applying excessive torque to the steering jack piston rod end fitting 
during assembly.
    The safe life limit for the steering jack piston rod is currently 
45,000 ground-air-ground (GAG) cycles. Failure of the above-mentioned 
steering jack piston rod occurred at 2,132 GAG cycles. Because of the 
possibility that excessive torque had been applied to the steering jack 
piston rod during assembly, the safe life limit for this part has been 
reduced.

What Is the Potential Impact if FAA Took No Action?

    This condition, if not detected and corrected, could result in 
failure of the steering jack piston rod. Such failure could lead to 
loss of steering control of the airplane during takeoff, landing, and 
taxi operations.

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 all 
British Aerospace Model HP.137 Jetstream Mk.1, Jetstream Series 200, 
Jetstream Series 3101, and Jetstream Model 3201 airplanes. This 
proposal was published in the Federal Register as a notice of proposed 
rulemaking (NPRM) on January 27, 2003 (68 FR 3832). The NPRM proposed 
to require you to inspect the steering jack piston rod for cracks and 
replace if necessary; measure the torque setting of the steering jack 
piston rod end fitting and stop bolt; and measure the thickness of the 
tab washers. The NPRM also proposed to require you to calculate a new 
safe life limit for the steering jack piston rod based on the results 
of the proposed inspection and the proposed measurements.

Was the Public Invited to Comment?

    The FAA encouraged interested persons to participate in the making 
of this amendment. We did not receive any comments on the proposed rule 
or on our determination of the cost to the public.

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 
minor editorial corrections. We have determined that these minor 
corrections:

--Provide the intent that was proposed in the NPRM for correcting the 
unsafe condition; and
--Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was already 
proposed in the NPRM.

How Does the Revision to 14 CFR Part 39 Affect This AD?

    On July 10, 2002, FAA published a new version of 14 CFR part 39 (67 
FR 47997, July 22, 2002), which governs

[[Page 16196]]

FAA's AD system. This regulation now includes material that relates to 
special flight permits, alternative methods of compliance, and altered 
products. This material previously was included in each individual AD. 
Since this material is included in 14 CFR part 39, we will not include 
it in future AD actions.

Cost Impact

How Many Airplanes Does This AD Impact?

    We estimate that this AD affects 250 airplanes in the U.S. 
registry.

What Is the Cost Impact of this AD on Owners/Operators of the Affected 
Airplanes?

    We estimate the following costs to accomplish the inspection:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Total cost  per
             Labor cost                     Parts cost            airplane       Total cost on  U.S. operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 workhour x $60 = $60..............  No parts required.....             $60   $60 x 250 = $15,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We estimate the following costs to accomplish any necessary 
replacements of the steering jack piston rod that would be required 
based on the results of the inspection and/or measurements. We have no 
way of determining the number of airplanes that may need such 
replacement:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Labor cost                       Parts cost                Total cost  per airplane
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8 workhours x $60 = $240......................          $5,300   $240 + $5,300 = $5,540
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Compliance Time of This AD

What Will Be the Compliance Time of This AD?

    The compliance time of this AD is ``within the next 90 days or 200 
ground-air-ground (GAG) cycles after the effective date of this AD, 
whichever occurs first.''

Why Is the Compliance Time Presented in Calendar Time and Operational 
Time?

    Failure of the steering jack piston rod is only unsafe during 
airplane operation; this condition is not a result of the number of 
times the airplane is operated. The cause of the unsafe condition is 
the result of incorrect torque settings used on the steering jack 
piston rod end fitting during assembly. We have no way of determining 
when the unsafe condition occurred on the affected airplanes. For this 
reason, the FAA has determined that a compliance time based on calendar 
time and operational time should be utilized in this AD in order to 
assure that the unsafe condition is not allowed to go uncorrected over 
time.

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, Incorporation by 
reference, Safety.

Adoption of the Amendment

0
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

0
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]

0
2. FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding a new AD to read as follows:

2003-07-06 British Aerospace: Amendment 39-13102; Docket No. 2002-
CE-56-AD.

    (a) What airplanes are affected by this AD? This AD affects 
Model HP.137 Jetstream Mk.1, Jetstream Series 200, Jetstream Series 
3101, and Jetstream Model 3201 airplanes, all serial numbers, that 
are certificated in any category.
    (b) Who must comply with this AD? Anyone who wishes to operate 
any of the airplanes identified in paragraph (a) of this AD must 
comply with this AD.
    (c) What problem does this AD address? The actions specified by 
this AD are intended to detect, correct, and prevent cracks in the 
steering jack piston rod, which could result in failure of the 
steering jack piston rod. Such failure could lead to loss of 
steering control of the airplane during takeoff, landing, and taxi 
operations.
    (d) What actions must I accomplish to address this problem? To 
address this problem, you must accomplish the following:

[[Page 16197]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Actions                 Compliance            Procedures
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Inspect the steering      Inspect within the    In accordance with
 jack piston rod for cracks.   next 90 days or 200   the procedures in
(i) If cracks are found,       ground-air-ground     APPH Ltd. Service
 replace the cracked           (GAG) cycles after    Bulletin 32-76
 steering jack piston rod.     May 22, 2003 (the     (pages 1, 2, and 4
 Install the new steering      effective date of     through 7, dated
 jack piston rod using a       this AD), whichever   October 2002; and
 torque setting of 175 lbf     occurs first.         page 3, Erratum 1,
 (pound force) inch or 20 Nm   Replace cracked       dated November
 (Newton meters) when          steering jack         2002), as
 tightening the end fitting    piston rods or        referenced in
 and stop bolt..               determine torque      British Aerospace
(ii) If no cracks are found,   settings prior to     Jetstream Mandatory
 determine the torque          further flight.       Service Bulletin 32-
 setting of the steering                             JA020741, Original
 jack piston rod end fitting                         Issue: November 2,
 and stop bold..                                     2002.
-----------------------------
(2) If the torque setting of  Prior to further      In accordance with
 the steering jack piston      flight after the      the procedures in
 rod end fitting or stop       inspection required   APPH Ltd. Service
 bolt is greater than 175      in paragraph (d)(1)   Bulletin 32-76,
 lbf inch or 20 Nm and is      of this AD.           (pages 1, 2, and 4
 equal to or less than 435                           through 7, dated
 lbf inch or 49 Nm:                                  October 2002; and
(i) calculate the new safe                           page 3, Erratum 1,
 life limit for the steering                         dated November
 jack piston rod; and.                               2002), as
(ii) incorporate the                                 referenced in
 following into the Aircraft                         British Aerospace
 Logbook: ``In accordance                            Jetstream Mandatory
 with AD 2003-07-06, the                             Service Bulletin 32-
 steering jack piston rod is                         JA020741, Original
 life limited to ------.''.                          Issue: November 2,
                                                     2002.
-----------------------------
(3) If the torque setting of  Prior to further      In accordance with
 the steering jack piston      flight after the      the procedures in
 rod end fitting or stop       inspection required   APPH Ltd. Service
 bolt is greater than 435      in paragraph (d)(1)   Bulletin 32-76,
 lbf inch or 49 Nm, measure    of this AD.           (pages 1, 2, and 4
 the deformation thickness                           through 7, dated
 of the tab washers.                                 October 2002; and
(i) If the tab washer                                page 3, Erratum 1,
 deformation thickness is                            dated November
 greater than 0.001 inch and                         2002), as
 is equal to or less than                            referenced in
 0.005 inch, calculate a new                         British Aerospace
 safe life limit for the                             Jetstream Mandatory
 steering jack piston rod,                           Service Bulletin 32-
 and incorporate the                                 JA020741, Original
 following into the Aircraft                         Issue: November 2,
 Logbook: ``In accordance                            2002.
 with AD 2003-07-06, the
 steering jack piston rod is
 life limited to ------.''.
(ii) If the tab washer
 deformation thickness is
 greater than 0.005 inch,
 replace the steering jack
 piston rod using the torque
 settings specified in
 paragraph (d)(1) of this
 AD..
-----------------------------
(4) Do not install any        As of May 22, 2003    In accordance with
 steering jack piston rod      (the effective date   the procedures in
 unless it has been            of this AD).          APPH Ltd. Service
 inspected, determined to be                         Bulletin 32-76,
 free of cracks, and the                             (pages 1, 2, and 4
 safe life limit has been                            through 7, dated
 established.                                        October 2002; and
                                                     page 3, Erratum 1,
                                                     dated November
                                                     2002), as
                                                     referenced in
                                                     British Aerospace
                                                     Jetstream Mandatory
                                                     Service Bulletin 32-
                                                     JA020741, Original
                                                     Issue: November 2,
                                                     2002.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Note 1: If the owners/operators of the affected airplanes have 
not kept track of ground-air-ground (GAG) cycles, hours time-in-
service (TIS) may be substituted by calculating 1.5 GAG cycles per 
hour TIS. For example, 3,000 GAG cycles would equal 2,000 hours TIS.

    (e) Can I comply with this AD in any other way? To use an 
alternative method of compliance or adjust the compliance time, use 
the procedures in 14 CFR 39.19. Send these requests to the Standards 
Office Manager, Small Airplane Directorate. For information on any 
already approved alternative methods of compliance, contact Doug 
Rudolph, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 
Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-
4059; facsimile: (816) 329-4090.
    (f) Are any service bulletins incorporated into this AD by 
reference? Actions required by this AD must be done in accordance 
with APPH Ltd. Service Bulletin 32-76 (pages 1, 2, and 4 through 7, 
dated October 2002; and page 3, Erratum 1, dated November 2002), as 
referenced in British Aerospace Jetstream Mandatory Service Bulletin 
32-JA020741, Original Issue: November 2, 2002. The Director of the 
Federal Register approved this incorporation by reference under 5 
U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. You may get copies from British 
Aerospace Regional Aircraft, Prestwick International Airport, 
Ayrshire, KA9 2RW, Scotland; telephone: (01292) 672345; facsimile: 
(01292) 671625. You may view copies at the FAA, Central Region, 
Office of the Regional Counsel, 901 Locust, Room 506, Kansas City, 
Missouri, or at the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North 
Capitol Street, NW., suite 700, Washington, DC.

    Note 2: The subject of this AD is addressed in British Aerospace 
Jetstream Mandatory Service Bulletin 32-JA020741, Original Issue: 
November 2, 2002. This service bulletin is classified as mandatory 
by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

    (g) When does this amendment become effective? This amendment 
becomes effective on May 22, 2003.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on March 25, 2003.
Michael Gallagher,
Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 03-7746 Filed 4-2-03; 8:45 am]
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