[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 58 (Monday, March 27, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 15061-15063]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-4386]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2006-24018; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-15-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Pacific Aerospace Corporation Ltd. 
Model 750XL Airplanes

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

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for 
certain Pacific Aerospace Corporation Ltd. Model 750XL airplanes. This 
proposed AD would require you to inspect the condition of the 
insulation of the wiring adjacent to the electrical plugs mounted in 
the left-hand (LH) and right-hand (RH) sides of the forward end of the 
cockpit center console for signs of abrasion and arcing. If you find 
evidence of abrasion or arcing, this proposed AD would require you to 
replace the affected wire(s) and secure the wires away from the back 
shells of the electrical plugs. This proposed AD results from mandatory 
continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the airworthiness 
authority for New Zealand. We are proposing this AD to detect and 
correct damaged wires on the LH and RH sides of the forward end of the 
cockpit center console, which could result in short-circuiting of the 
related wiring. This could lead to electrical failure of affected 
systems and potential fire in the cockpit.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by April 24, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Use one of the following addresses to comment 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 20590-0001.
     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.
    For service information identified in this proposed AD, contact 
Pacific Aerospace Corporation Ltd., Hamilton Airport, Private Bag HN 
3027, Hamilton, New Zealand; telephone: 011 (64) 7-843-6144; fax: 011 
(64) 7-843-6134.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karl Schletzbaum, Aerospace Engineer, 
FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, 
Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4146; facsimile: (816) 329-4090.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or 
arguments regarding this proposed airworthiness directive (AD). Send 
your comments to an address listed under the ADDRESSES section. Include 
the docket number, ``FAA-2006-24018; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-15-
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 we 
receive concerning this proposed AD.

Discussion

    The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which is the airworthiness 
authority for New Zealand, notified the Federal Aviation Administration 
(FAA) that an unsafe condition may exist on certain Pacific Aerospace 
Corporation Ltd. (Pacific Aerospace) Model 750XL airplanes. The CAA 
reports an incident in which short-circuiting of the wiring in the 
cockpit center console occurred.
    Abrasion of the wiring insulation caused by the fasteners of the 
electrical plug back-shells located in the cockpit center console 
resulted in the short-circuit.
    This condition, if not corrected, could result in short-circuiting 
of the related wiring in the forward end of the cockpit center console. 
This could lead to electrical failure of affected systems and potential 
fire in the cockpit.

Relevant Service Information

    We have reviewed Pacific Aerospace Corporation Mandatory Service 
Bulletin No. PACSB/XL/016, Issue 1, Date Issued: September 23, 2005.
    The service information describes procedures for:
     Inspecting the condition of the insulation of the wiring 
adjacent to the electrical plugs mounted in the left-hand (LH) and (RH) 
right-hand sides of the forward end of the cockpit center console for 
signs of abrasion and arcing;
     Replacing the affected wire(s) if any evidence of abrasion 
or arcing is found; and
     Securing the wires away from the back shells of the 
electrical plugs.

Foreign Airworthiness Authority Information

    The CAA classified this service bulletin as mandatory and issued 
New Zealand AD Number DCA/750XL/6, Effective Date: December 1, 2005, to 
ensure the continued airworthiness of these airplanes in New Zealand.
    These Pacific Aerospace Model 750XL airplanes are manufactured in 
New Zealand and are 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.
    Under this bilateral airworthiness agreement, the CAA has kept us 
informed of the situation described above.

FAA's Determination and Requirements of the Proposed AD

    We are proposing this AD because we have examined the CAA's 
findings, evaluated all information and determined the unsafe condition 
described previously is likely to exist or develop on other products of 
the same type design that are certificated for operation in the United 
States.
    This proposed AD would require you to inspect the condition of the 
insulation of the wiring adjacent to the electrical plugs mounted in 
the LH and RH sides of the forward end of the cockpit center console 
for signs of abrasion and arcing. If any evidence of abrasion or arcing 
is found, this proposed AD would require you to replace the affected 
wire(s) and secure the wires away from the back shells of the 
electrical plugs.

[[Page 15062]]

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this proposed AD would affect 5 airplanes in the 
U.S. registry.
    We estimate the following costs to do the proposed inspection:

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                                                                Total cost  per
             Labor cost                      Parts cost            airplane       Total cost on  U.S. operators
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4 work hours x $80 per hour = $320..  Not applicable.........             $320   $320 x 5 = $1,600
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    We estimate the following costs to do any necessary replacements 
that would be required based on the results of the proposed inspection. 
We have no way of determining the number of airplanes that may need 
this replacement:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Total cost
                 Labor cost                    Parts cost   per airplane
------------------------------------------------------------------------
28 work hours x $80 per hour = $2,240.......         $200        $2,440
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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.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket that contains the proposed AD, the 
regulatory evaluation, any comments received, and other information on 
the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov; or in person at the Docket 
Management Facility between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays. The Docket Office (telephone (800) 647-5227) 
is located at the street address stated in the ADDRESSES section. 
Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.

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 FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new AD:

Pacific Aerospace Corporation Ltd.: Docket No. FAA-2006-24018; 
Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-15-AD.

Comments Due Date

    (a) We must receive comments on this airworthiness directive 
(AD) action by April 24, 2006.

Affected ADs

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD affects Model 750XL airplanes, serial numbers 110 
through 120, that are certificated in any category.

Unsafe Condition

    (d) This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness 
information (MCAI) issued by the airworthiness authority for New 
Zealand. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct damaged wires 
on the left-hand (LH) and right-hand (RH) sides of the forward end 
of the cockpit center console, which could result in short-
circuiting of the related wiring. This condition could lead to 
electrical failure of affected systems and potential fire in the 
cockpit.

Compliance

    (e) To address this problem, you must do the following, unless 
already done:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Actions                 Compliance            Procedures
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(1) Inspect the condition of  Within the next 50    Follow Pacific
 the insulation of the         hours time-in-        Aerospace
 wiring adjacent to the        service (TIS) after   Corporation
 electrical plugs mounted in   the effective date    Mandatory Service
 the LH and RH sides of the    of this AD.           Bulletin No. PACSB
 forward end of the cockpit                           XL / 016, Issue 1,
 center console for signs of                         Date Issued:
 abrasion and arcing.                                September 23, 2005.

[[Page 15063]]

 
(2) If you find any evidence  Before further        Follow Pacific
 of abrasion or arcing,        flight after the      Aerospace
 replace the affected          inspection required   Corporation
 wire(s) and secure the        in paragraph (e)(1)   Mandatory Service
 wires away from the back      of this AD.           Bulletin No. PACSB
 shells of the electrical                             XL / 016, Issue 1,
 plugs.                                              Date Issued:
                                                     September 23, 2005.
(3) If you do not find any    Before further        Follow Pacific
 evidence of abrasion or       flight after the      Aerospace
 arcing, secure the wires      inspection required   Corporation
 away from the back shells     in paragraph (e)(1)   Mandatory Service
 of the electrical plugs.      of this AD.           Bulletin No. PACSB
                                                      XL / 016, Issue 1,
                                                     Date Issued:
                                                     September 23, 2005.
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Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (f) The Manager, Standards Office, Small Airplane Directorate, 
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), ATTN: Karl Schletzbaum, 
Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, 
Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4146; 
fax: (816) 329-4090, has the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, 
if requested using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19.

Related Information

    (g) New Zealand AD No. DCA/750XL/6, Effective Date: December 1, 
2005, also addresses the subject of this AD. To get copies of the 
documents referenced in this AD, contact Pacific Aerospace 
Corporation Ltd., Hamilton Airport, Private Bag HN 3027, Hamilton, 
New Zealand; telephone: 011 (64) 7-843-6144; facsimile: 011 (64) 7-
843-6134. To view the AD docket, go to the Docket Management 
Facility; U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, 
SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, Washington, DC, or on the 
Internet at http://dms.dot.gov. The docket number is Docket No. FAA-
2006-24018; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-15-AD.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on March 20, 2006.
Kim Smith,
Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
 [FR Doc. E6-4386 Filed 3-24-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P