[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 33 (Friday, February 17, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 8547-8549]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2319]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2006-23936; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-215-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Bombardier Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional 
Jet Series 100 and 440) Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) 
for certain Bombardier Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 
440) airplanes. This proposed AD would require an inspection of the 
manufacturer's date code on certain electrical relays to identify 
defective Leach TDH-series electrical relays and replacement of 
identified relays. This proposed AD results from a report of defective 
electrical relays affecting emergency equipment. We are proposing this 
AD to prevent the malfunction of emergency equipment (the passenger 
oxygen system, the thrust reverse control system, and the auxiliary 
power unit fire detection, warning, and extinguishing system) during an 
emergency.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by March 20, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Use one of the following addresses to submit comments on 
this proposed AD.
     DOT Docket Web site: Go to http://dms.dot.gov and follow 
the instructions for sending your comments electronically.
     Government-wide rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for sending your 
comments electronically.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, room PL-401, 
Washington, DC 20590.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
     Hand Delivery: Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the 
Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Contact Bombardier, Inc., Canadair, Aerospace Group, P.O. Box 6087, 
Station Centre-ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3G9, Canada, for service 
information identified in this proposed AD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wing Chan, Aerospace Engineer, Systems 
and Flight Test Branch, ANE-172, FAA, New York Aircraft Certification 
Office, 1600 Stewart Avenue, suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; telephone 
(516) 228-7311; fax (516) 794-5531.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited

    We invite you to submit any relevant written data, views, or 
arguments regarding this proposed AD. Send your comments to an address 
listed in the ADDRESSES section. Include the docket number ``FAA-2006-
23936; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-215-AD'' at the beginning of your 
comments. We specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory, 
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of the proposed AD. We will 
consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend the 
proposed AD in light of those comments.
    We will post all comments we receive, without change, to http://dms.dot.gov, including any personal information you provide. We will 
also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact with FAA 
personnel concerning this proposed AD. Using the search function of 
that Web site, anyone can find and read the comments in any of our 
dockets, including the name of the individual who sent the comment (or 
signed the comment on behalf of an association, business, labor union, 
etc.). You may review the DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the 
Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78), or you 
may visit http://dms.dot.gov.

Examining the Docket

    You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov, or in person at the Docket Management Facility office 
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. The Docket Management Facility office (telephone (800) 647-
5227) is located on the plaza level of the Nassif Building at the DOT 
street address stated in the ADDRESSES section. Comments will be 
available in the AD docket shortly after the Docket Management System 
receives them.

[[Page 8548]]

Discussion

    Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), which is the airworthiness 
authority for Canada, notified us that an unsafe condition may exist on 
certain Bombardier Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) 
airplanes. TCCA advises that Leach International, a manufacturer of 
electrical relays, has reported a manufacturing defect in a batch of 
its TDH-series electrical relays installed on the subject airplanes. 
The material in the time delay module of these relays can crack at 
temperatures higher than 140 degrees Fahrenheit. If there is a crack in 
the time delay module, the relay coil will break and the relay will not 
operate. The systems affected by these relays include the passenger 
oxygen system, the thrust reverse control system, and the auxiliary 
power unit (APU) fire detection, warning, and extinguishing system. No 
in-service problems caused by these relays have been reported to date. 
However, this condition, if not corrected, could result in the 
malfunction of emergency equipment (the passenger oxygen system, the 
thrust reverse control system, and the APU fire detection, warning, and 
extinguishing system) during an emergency.

Relevant Service Information

    Bombardier has issued Service Bulletin 601R-24-118, Revision A, 
dated August 8, 2005. The service bulletin describes procedures for 
inspecting the manufacturer's date code on certain electrical relays to 
identify defective Leach TDH-series relays and replacement of those 
relays with serviceable relays, as identified in the service bulletin. 
The subject relays are the K4WQ, K5WQ, K3QA, K4QA, K4WG, K1CN, and K2CN 
relays. TCCA mandated the service information and issued Canadian 
airworthiness directive CF-2005-35, dated September 1, 2005, to ensure 
the continued airworthiness of these airplanes in Canada.

FAA's Determination and Requirements of the Proposed AD

    This airplane model is manufactured in Canada and is type 
certificated for operation in the United States under the provisions of 
section 21.29 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 21.29) and 
the applicable bilateral airworthiness agreement. Pursuant to this 
bilateral airworthiness agreement, TCCA has kept the FAA informed of 
the situation described above. We have examined TCCA's findings, 
evaluated all pertinent information, and determined that we need to 
issue an AD for airplanes of this type design that are certificated for 
operation in the United States.
    Therefore, we are proposing this AD, which would require 
accomplishing the actions specified in the service information 
described previously.

Costs of Compliance

    The following table provides the estimated costs for U.S. operators 
to comply with this proposed AD.

                                                                     Estimated Costs
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                                                                                                                     Number of U.S.-
                          Action                               Work hours       Average labor    Cost per airplane      registered         Fleet cost
                                                                                rate per hour                           airplanes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inspection of Part A relays..............................                  6                $65               $390                753           $293,670
Inspection of Part B relays..............................                  6                 65                390                753            293,670
Inspection of Part C relays..............................                  2                 65                130                753             97,890
Inspection of Part D relays..............................                  6                 65                390                753            293,670
Inspection of Part E relays..............................                  6                 65                390                753            293,670
                                                          --------------------
    Total for inspection of all relays...................                 26                 65             $1,690                753          1,272,570
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Authority for This Rulemaking

    Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA's authority to 
issue rules on aviation safety. Subtitle I, section 106, describes the 
authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII, Aviation Programs, 
describes in more detail the scope of the Agency's authority.
    We are issuing this rulemaking under the authority described in 
subtitle VII, part A, subpart III, section 44701, ``General 
requirements.'' Under that section, Congress charges the FAA with 
promoting safe flight of civil aircraft in air commerce by prescribing 
regulations for practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator 
finds necessary for safety in air commerce. This regulation is within 
the scope of that authority because it addresses an unsafe condition 
that is likely to exist or develop on products identified in this 
rulemaking action.

Regulatory Findings

    We have determined that this proposed AD would not have federalism 
implications under Executive Order 13132. This proposed AD would 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.
    For the reasons discussed above, I certify that the proposed 
regulation:
    1. Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order 
12866;
    2. Is not a ``significant rule'' under the 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.
    We prepared a regulatory evaluation of the estimated costs to 
comply with this proposed AD and placed it in the AD docket. See the 
ADDRESSES section for a location to examine the regulatory evaluation.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

    Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Safety.

The Proposed Amendment

    Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the FAA proposes to amend 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. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) amends Sec.  39.13 by 
adding the following new airworthiness directive (AD):


[[Page 8549]]


Bombardier, Inc. (Formerly Canadair): Docket No. FAA-2006-23936; 
Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-215-AD.

Comments Due Date

    (a) The FAA must receive comments on this AD action by March 20, 
2006.

Affected ADs

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to Bombardier Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional 
Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes, certificated in any category, 
serial numbers (S/N) 7003 and subsequent.

Unsafe Condition

    (d) This AD results from a report of defective electrical relays 
affecting emergency equipment. We are issuing this AD to prevent the 
malfunction of emergency equipment (the passenger oxygen system, the 
thrust reverse control system, and the auxiliary power unit (APU) 
fire detection, warning, and extinguishing system) during an 
emergency.

Compliance

    (e) You are responsible for having the actions required by this 
AD performed within the compliance times specified, unless the 
actions have already been done.

Service Bulletin References

    (f) The term ``service bulletin,'' as used in this AD, means the 
Accomplishment Instructions of Parts A through E of Bombardier 
Service Bulletin 601R-24-118, Revision A, dated August 8, 2005.

Relay Inspection

    (g) Within 5,500 flight hours or 36 months after the effective 
date of this AD, whichever is first: Do an inspection of the 
manufacturer's date code on the K4WQ, K5WQ, K3QA, K4QA, K4WG, K1CN, 
and K2CN electrical relays, in accordance with the service bulletin, 
except as provided by paragraph (h) of this AD.

Alternative To Relay Inspection for Certain Airplanes

    (h) For airplanes having S/Ns 7003 through 7363 inclusive, and 
7889 and subsequent, which were not manufactured with the subject 
Leach TDH-series relays installed: A review of the airplane 
maintenance records is acceptable in lieu of the inspection of the 
manufacturer's date code on the K4WQ, K5WQ, K3QA, K4QA, K4WG, K1CN, 
and K2CN electrical relays, if the manufacturer's date code can be 
conclusively determined from that review.

Replacement of Identified Relays

    (i) Prior to further flight: Replace any electrical relay having 
a manufacturer's date code specified in paragraph 1.A., 
``Effectivity,'' of the service bulletin that is identified during 
the inspection or maintenance records review specified in paragraph 
(g) or (h) of this AD with a serviceable relay, in accordance with 
the service bulletin.

Inspections and Replacements According to Previous Issue of Service 
Bulletin

    (j) Inspecting and replacing the subject electrical relays is 
also acceptable for compliance with the requirements of paragraphs 
(g) and (i) of this AD, as applicable, if done before the effective 
date of this AD in accordance with Accomplishment Instructions of 
Parts A through E of Bombardier Service Bulletin 601R-24-118, dated 
January 3, 2005.

Parts Installation

    (k) As of the effective date of this AD, no person may install a 
Leach TDH-series K4WQ, K5WQ, K3QA, K4QA, K4WG, K1CN, or K2CN relay 
with a manufacturer's date code specified in paragraph 1.A., 
``Effectivity,'' of the service bulletin on any airplane.

Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (I)(1) The Manager, New York Aircraft Certification Office 
(ACO), FAA, has the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if 
requested in accordance with the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19.
    (2) Before using any AMOC approved in accordance with Sec.  
39.19 on any airplane to which the AMOC applies, notify the 
appropriate principal inspector in the FAA Flight Standards 
Certificate Holding District Office.

Related Information

    (m) Canadian airworthiness directive CF-2005-35, dated September 
1, 2005, also addresses the subject of this AD.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on February 9, 2006.
Kalene C. Yanamura,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
 [FR Doc. E6-2319 Filed 2-16-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P