[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 119 (Wednesday, June 21, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 35502-35505]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-5532]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2006-24094; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-20-AD; 
Amendment 39-14656; AD 68-17-03R1]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Models PC-6, PC-
6-H1, PC-6-H2, PC-6/350, PC-6/350-H1, PC-6/350-H2, PC-6/A, PC-6/A-H1, 
PC-6/A-H2, PC-6/B-H2, PC-6/B1-H2, PC-6/B2-H2, PC-6/B2-H4, PC-6/C-H2, 
and PC-6/C1-H2 Airplanes

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

[[Page 35503]]


ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) to revise 
AD 68-17-03, which applies to all Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. (Pilatus) PC-6 
series airplanes. AD 68-17-03 requires you to repetitively inspect the 
rudder end rib for cracks and replace the rudder end rib with a 
modified rudder end rib when you find cracks. Installing the modified 
rudder end rib terminates the repetitive inspection requirements of AD 
68-17-03. Under a licensing agreement with Pilatus, Fairchild Republic 
Company (also identified as Fairchild Industries, Fairchild Heli 
Porter, or Fairchild-Hiller Corporation) produced Model PC-6 series 
airplanes (manufacturer serial numbers 2001 through 2092) in the United 
States. AD 68-17-03 was intended to apply to all affected serial 
numbers of Model PC-6 series airplanes listed on Type Certificate Data 
Sheet (TCDS) No. 7A15, including the Fairchild-produced airplanes. 
Consequently, this AD clarifies that all models of the PC-6 airplane on 
TCDS No. 7A15 (including those models produced under the licensing 
agreement by Fairchild Republic Company) are included in the 
applicability. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cracks in 
the rudder end rib, which could result in failure of the rudder end 
rib. This failure could result in loss of rudder control.

DATES: This AD becomes effective on August 3, 2006.
    As of August 3, 2006, the Director of the Federal Register approved 
the incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in the 
regulation.

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Pilatus Aircraft Ltd., Customer Liaison Manager, CH-6371 Stans, 
Switzerland; telephone: +41 41 619 63 19; facsimile: +41 41 619 6224.
    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 20590-001, or on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov. The docket number is FAA-2006-24094; Directorate 
Identifier 2006-CE-20-AD.

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

    On April 17, 2006, 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 Pilatus PC-6 series airplanes. This proposal was 
published in the Federal Register as a notice of proposed rulemaking 
(NPRM) on April 24, 2006 (71 FR 20919). The NPRM proposed to revise AD 
68-17-03 with a new AD that would retain all actions currently required 
by AD 68-17-03 and would clarify the applicability of the affected 
airplanes by:
     Identifying those airplanes produced in the United States 
through a licensing agreement with the Fairchild Republic Company; and
     Listing all Pilatus Model PC-6 series airplanes on Type 
Certificate Data Sheet No. 7A15 in the applicability section.

Comments

    We provided the public the opportunity to participate in developing 
this AD. We received one comment in favor of the proposed AD.

Conclusion

    We have carefully reviewed the available data and determined that 
air safety and the public interest require adopting the AD as proposed 
except for minor editorial corrections. We have determined that these 
minor corrections:
     Are consistent with 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.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this AD affects 49 airplanes in the U.S. registry.
    We estimate the following costs to do the inspection:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                          Total cost for     Total cost on U.S.
                Labor cost                          Parts cost            each airplane          operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 work-hour x $80 an hour = 80...........  Not applicable.............               $80      $80 x 49 = $3,920
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We estimate the following costs to do any necessary replacements 
that will be required based on the results of the inspection. We have 
no way of determining the number of airplanes that may need this 
replacement:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                        Total cost for
             Labor cost                 Parts cost       each airplane
------------------------------------------------------------------------
9 work-hours x $80 an hour = $720...           $821              $1,541
------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 AD.

Regulatory Findings

    We have determined that this AD will not have federalism 
implications under Executive Order 13132. This AD 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.
    For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this AD:
    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

[[Page 35504]]

    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 summary of the costs to comply with this AD (and 
other information as included in the Regulatory Evaluation) and placed 
it in the AD Docket. You may get a copy of this summary by sending a 
request to us at the address listed under ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket 
No. FAA-2006-24094; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-20-AD'' in your 
request.

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. The FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by removing Airworthiness Directive (AD) 
68-17-03, Amendment 39-634, and adding the following new AD:

68-17-03R1 Pilatus Aircraft LTD.: Amendment 39-14656; Docket No. 
FAA-2006-24094; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-20-AD.

Effective Date

    (a) This AD becomes effective on August 3, 2006.

Affected ADs

    (b) This AD revises AD 68-17-03, Amendment 39-634.

Applicability

    (c) This AD affects the following airplane models, all 
manufacturer serial numbers (MSN), that are certificated in any 
category:

    Note: MSNs 2001 through 2092 were manufactured by Fairchild 
Republic Company (also identified as Fairchild Industries, Fairchild 
Heli Porter, and Fairchild-Hiller Corporation) in the United States 
under a licensing agreement and are covered by Type Certificate Data 
Sheet No. 7A15.


    (1) PC-6
    (2) PC-6-H1
    (3) PC-6-H2
    (4) PC-6/350
    (5) PC-6/350-H1
    (6) PC-6/350-H2
    (7) PC-6/A
    (8) PC-6/A-H1
    (9) PC-6/A-H2
    (10) PC-6/B-H2
    (11) PC-6/B1-H2
    (12) PC-6/B2-H2
    (13) PC-6/B2-H4
    (14) PC-6/C-H2
    (15) PC-6/C1-H2

Unsafe Condition

    (d) This AD results from fatigue cracks found in the bottom nose 
rib on the rudders of certain PC-6 airplanes. We are issuing this AD 
to detect and correct cracks in the rudder end rib, which could 
result in failure of the rudder. This failure could lead to loss of 
rudder control.

Compliance

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

------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Actions                Compliance            Procedures
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) With the aid of a mirror,  Within the next   Follow Pilatus Service
 inspect the rudder end rib,    50 hours time-    Bulletin No. 80, dated
 part number (P/N) 6302.27      in-service        April 1968.
 (or FAA-approved equivalent    after August
 P/N) for crack(s).             19, 1968 (the
                                effective date
                                of AD 68-17-
                                03).
                                Repetitively
                                inspect
                                thereafter at
                                intervals not
                                to exceed 50
                                hours TIS.
(2) If you detect a crack or   Before further    Follow Pilatus Service
 cracks during any inspection   flight after      Bulletin No. 80, dated
 required in paragraph (e)(1)   any inspection    April 1968.
 of this AD, replace the        required in
 rudder end rib with a          paragraph
 modified rudder end rib        (e)(1) of this
 assembly, P/N 6302.26 Pos.     AD in which you
 2, channel reinforcement, P/   find cracks.
 N 113.40.06.002, and torque    Installing the
 tube, P/N 113.40.06.003 (or    modified rudder
 FAA-approved equivalent P/     end rib
 Ns).                           terminates the
                                repetitive
                                inspection
                                requirement in
                                paragraph
                                (e)(1) of this
                                AD.
(3) 14 CFR 21.303 allows for   Not applicable..  Not applicable.
 replacement parts through
 parts manufacturer approval
 (PMA). The phrase ``or FAA-
 approved equivalent P/N'' in
 this AD is intended to
 signify those parts that are
 PMA parts approved through
 identicality to the design
 of the part under the type
 certificate and replacement
 parts to correct the unsafe
 condition under PMA (other
 than identicality). If parts
 are installed that are
 identical to the unsafe
 parts, then the corrective
 actions of the AD affect
 these parts also. In
 addition, equivalent
 replacement parts to correct
 the unsafe condition under
 PMA (other than
 identicality) may also be
 installed provided they meet
 current airworthiness
 standards, which include
 those actions cited in this
 AD.
(4) Installing the modified    Not applicable..  Not applicable.
 rudder end rib assembly, P/N
 6302.26 Pos. 2, channel
 reinforcement, P/N
 113.40.06.002, and torque
 tube, P/N 113.40.06.003 (or
 FAA-approved equivalent P/
 Ns), terminates the
 repetitive inspection
 requirement in paragraph
 (e)(1) of this AD.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (f) The Manager, Standards Office, ATTN: Doug Rudolph, Aerospace 
Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, 
Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4059; facsimile: 
(816) 329-4090, has the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if 
requested using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19.
    (g) AMOCs approved for AD 68-17-03 are approved for this AD.

Related Information

    (h) Swiss AD Number HB 2005-289, effective date August 23, 2005, 
also addresses the subject of this AD.

Material Incorporated by Reference

    (i) You must do the actions required by this AD following 
Pilatus Service Bulletin No. 80, dated April 1968. The Director of 
the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of this 
service bulletin in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 
51. To get a copy of this service information, contact Pilatus 
Aircraft Ltd., Customer Liaison Manager, CH-6371 Stans, Switzerland; 
telephone: +41 41 619 63 19; facsimile: +41 41 619 6224. To review 
copies of this service information, go to the National Archives and 
Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability 
of this material at NARA, go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html or call 
(202) 741-6030. To view the AD docket, go to the Docket

[[Page 35505]]

Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, Washington, DC 20590-001 
or on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov. The docket number is FAA-
2006-24094; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-20-AD.


    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 12, 2006.
James E. Jackson,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 06-5532 Filed 6-20-06; 8:45 am]
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