[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 32 (Friday, February 16, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 7555-7558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-2505]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2006-25926; Directorate Identifier 2000-CE-17-AD; 
Amendment 39-14946; AD 2003-17-05R1]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Short Brothers & Harland Ltd. Models 
SC-7 Series 2 and SC-7 Series 3 Airplanes

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) to revise

[[Page 7556]]

AD 2003-17-05, which applies to Short Brothers & Harland (Shorts) 
Models SC-7 Series 2 and SC-7 Series 3 airplanes. AD 2003-17-05 
currently establishes a technical service life for these airplanes and 
allows you to incorporate modifications, inspections, and replacements 
of certain life limited items to extend the life limits of these 
airplanes. Since we issued AD 2003-17-05, Shorts Service Bulletin SB 
51-51 was revised to Revision 8, dated July 5, 2006, and the European 
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the 
Member States of the European Community, issued an AD for the European 
Community to correct an unsafe condition for the specified product. AD 
2003-17-05 contains conflicting information on the repetitive visual 
inspection requirement. Consequently, this AD would retain the 
technical service life for these airplanes; would continue to allow 
modifications, inspections, and replacements of certain life limited 
items to extend the life limits of these airplanes; and would clarify 
the repetitive visual inspection requirement between one of the service 
bulletins and the maintenance program if an operator chooses to extend 
the life limit. The actions specified by this AD are intended to 
clarify the inspection information to prevent failure of critical 
structure of the aircraft caused by fatigue.

DATES: This AD becomes effective on March 23, 2007.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of Shorts Service Bulletin Number 51-51, Revision No: 8, 
dated July 5, 2006; listed in this AD as of March 23, 2007.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-51, Revision No.: 6, dated: 
March 14, 1983; and Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-52, Revision No.: 4, 
dated: July 16, 2002, listed in this AD as of September 29, 2003 (68 FR 
50689, August 22, 2003).

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this AD, contact Short 
Brothers PLC, P.O. Box 241, Airport Road, Belfast BT3 9DZ Northern 
Ireland; telephone: 011 44 (0) 28 9045 8444; facsimile: 011 44 (0) 28 
9073 3396.
    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-2006-25926; Directorate 
Identifier 2000-CE-17-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 November 20, 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 Shorts Models SC-7 Series 2 and SC-7 Series 3 
airplanes. This proposal was published in the Federal Register as a 
notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on November 28, 2006 (71 FR 
68766). The NPRM proposed to revise AD 2003-17-05 to retain the 
technical service life for these airplanes; continue to allow 
modifications, inspections, and replacements of certain life limited 
items to extend the life limits of these airplanes; and clarify the 
repetitive visual inspection requirement between one of the service 
bulletins and the maintenance program if an operator chooses to extend 
the life limit.

Comments

    We provided the public the opportunity to participate in developing 
this AD. The following presents the comments received on the proposal 
and FAA's response to each comment:

Comment Issue No. 1: Proposed Revision or Supersedure of EASA AD 2006-
0190

    Shorts provides comments pertaining to their proposal to EASA to 
revise or supersede EASA AD 2006-0190. Shorts recommends that the FAA 
consider postponing any revision to AD 2003-17-05 until EASA revises or 
supersedes EASA AD 2006-0190.
    For clarification reasons, this is a revision to AD 2003-17-05. 
However, EASA superseded EASA AD 2006-0190 with EASA AD 2007-0013, 
dated: January 11, 2007, which was after the closing of the comment 
period of this NPRM. The FAA has evaluated the new EASA AD and has 
determined that this revised FAA AD incorporates the intent of the EASA 
AD without any changes needed. Please note that the EASA AD does not 
address the six airplanes that are covered by Shorts Service Bulletin 
No. 51-52, Revision No.: 4, dated: July 16, 2002 as this AD does. We 
are not changing the final rule AD action as a result of this comment.

Comment Issue No. 2: Life Limits of the Model SC-7 Series 3 Airplane, 
Serial Number (S/N) SH1845

    Shorts provides comments that it would be prudent to include the 
increase of the life limits of the Model SC-7 Series 3 airplane, S/N 
SH1845, that result from an approved alternative method of compliance 
(AMOC).
    The increase of the life limits for the Model SC-7 Series 3 
airplane, S/N SH1845, was approved as part of an AMOC. The life limit 
originally published in the AD remains valid. It is the AMOC that 
extends it. Any FAA-approved AMOC will include actions necessary to 
address the unsafe condition in an acceptable manner to deviate from 
the AD. The AD remains in effect if the AMOC is not complied with. For 
this reason, it would not be appropriate to change the AD to 
incorporate an AMOC. This AD maintains the effectivity of all AMOCs.
    We are not changing the final rule AD action as a result of this 
comment.

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 would affect 22 airplanes in the U.S. 
registry.
    Since the action of the AD is life-limiting the structural 
airframe, the actual operating cost of this AD is the cost of the 
airplane minus any non-life-limited parts that are salvageable and can 
be sold. There is no cost impact difference in this AD than that 
originally presented in AD 2003-17-05, except for the recalculation of 
the labor costs using the revised figure of $80 per hour instead of $65 
per hour.
    The following paragraphs present the costs if you choose to 
incorporate the inspections and modifications necessary to extend the 
life limit.
    We estimate the following costs to do the optional aircraft life 
extension on 16 airplanes (all airplanes that do not have serial number 
SH1889, SH1943, SH1960, SH1845, SH1847, or SH1883) as prescribed in 
Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-51:

[[Page 7557]]



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                  Total cost per   Total cost on
                           Labor cost                               Parts cost       airplane     U.S. operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
350 work-hours x $80 per hour = $28,000.........................         $90,000        $118,000      $1,888,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We estimate the following to do the aircraft life extension 
prescribed in Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-52 (which includes Service 
Bulletin 51-51) for serial numbers SH1889, SH1943, and SH1960:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                  Total cost per   Total cost on
                           Labor cost                               Parts cost       airplane     U.S. operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
470 work-hours x $80 per hour = $37,600.........................        $112,000        $149,600        $448,800
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We estimate the following to do the aircraft life extension 
prescribed in Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-52 for serial numbers 
SH1845, SH1847, and SH1883:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                  Total cost per   Total cost on
                           Labor cost                               Parts cost       airplane     U.S. operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
120 work-hours x $80 per hour = $9,600..........................         $22,000         $31,600         $94,800
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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
    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-2006-25926; Directorate Identifier 2000-CE-17-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) 
2003-17-05, Amendment 39-13279 (68 FR 50689, August 22, 2003), and 
adding the following new AD:

2003-17-05R1 Short Brothers & Harland Ltd.: Amendment 39-14946; 
Docket No. FAA-2006-25926; Directorate Identifier 2000-CE-17-AD.

Effective Date

    (a) This AD becomes effective on March 23, 2007.

Affected ADs

    (b) This AD revises AD 2003-17-05, Amendment 39-13279.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to Models SC-7 Series 2 and SC-7 Series 3 
airplanes, all serial numbers, that are certificated in any 
category.

Unsafe Condition

    (d) This revised AD results from conflicting information of the 
repetitive inspection requirement between one of the service 
bulletins and the maintenance program if an operator chooses to 
extend the life limit. We are issuing this AD to clarify the 
inspection information to prevent failure of critical structure of 
the aircraft caused by fatigue.

Compliance

    (e) Do not operate the airplane upon accumulating the applicable 
life limit or within the next 90 days after September 29, 2003 (the 
effective date of AD 2003-17-05), whichever occurs later. For 
owners/operators that do not have a record of the number of flights 
on the aircraft, assume the number of flights on the basis of two 
per operating hour. The following table presents the life limits:

[[Page 7558]]



                                         Table 1.--Original Life Limits
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            Serial No.                                               Life limit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) SH1845 and SH1883............  10,000 hours time-in-service (TIS).
(2) SH1847.......................  15,200 hours TIS.
(3) SH1889.......................  13,805 flights.
(4) SH1943.......................  11,306 flights.
(5) SH1960.......................  4,142 flights.
(6) All airplanes that do not      20,000 flights.
 have serial number SH1845,
 SH1883, SH1847, SH1889, SH1943,
 or SH1960.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (f) For airplanes with serial numbers SH1845, SH1847, or SH1883: 
You can extend the life limits by doing the actions of Shorts 
Service Bulletin No. 51-52, Revision No.: 4, dated: July 16, 2002 
(and all service information or modifications referenced in the 
Planning Information section of the service bulletin), and Shorts 
Skyvan Maintenance Program, Amendment List No. 22, dated May 7, 
2003, or Amendment List No. 23, dated December 14, 2004, or 
Amendment List No. 24, dated November 2, 2006. You may use any 
future amendment to this maintenance program if it does not change 
the inspection intervals, requirements, or the life limits of this 
AD or the previous amendments. The following table presents the 
extended life limit:

     Table 2.--Extended Life Limits After Incorporation of Required
                      Inspections and Modifications
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) SH1845............................  13,456 hours TIS.
(2) SH1847............................  20,200 hours TIS.
(3) SH1883............................  15,000 hours TIS.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (g) For airplanes with serial numbers SH1889, SH1943, or SH1960: 
You can extend the life limits by doing the actions of Shorts 
Service Bulletin No. 51-52, Revision No.: 4, dated: July 16, 2002 
(and all service information or modifications referenced in the 
Planning Information section of the service bulletin including 
Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-51, Revision No.: 6, dated: March 14, 
1983; or Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-51, Revision No.: 8, dated: 
July 5, 2006. You cannot use Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-51, 
Revision No.: 7, dated: January 2005.), and Shorts Skyvan 
Maintenance Program, Amendment List No. 22, dated May 7, 2003, or 
Amendment List No. 23, dated December 14, 2004, or Amendment List 
No. 24, dated November 2, 2006. You may use any future amendment to 
this maintenance program if it does not change the inspection 
intervals, requirements, or the life limits of this AD or the 
previous amendments. The following table presents the extended life 
limit:

     Table 3.--Extended Life Limits After Incorporation of Required
                      Inspections and Modifications
------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Serial No.                       Extended life limit
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) SH1889............................  20,094 flights.
(2) SH1943............................  17,325 flights.
(3) SH1960............................  8,449 flights.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (h) For airplanes that do not have serial numbers SH1845, 
SH1847, SH1883, SH1889, SH1943, or SH1960: You can extend the life 
limit to 27,000 flights by doing the actions of Shorts Service 
Bulletin No. 51-51, Revision No.: 6, dated: March 14, 1983; or 
Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-51, Revision No.: 8, dated: July 5, 
2006; and Shorts Skyvan Maintenance Program, Amendment List No. 22, 
dated May 7, 2003; or Amendment List No. 23, dated December 14, 2004 
or Amendment List No. 24, dated November 2, 2006. You may use any 
future amendment to this maintenance program if it does not change 
the inspection intervals, requirements, or the life limits of this 
AD or the previous amendments. You cannot use Shorts Service 
Bulletin No. 51-51, Revision No.: 7, dated: January 2005.
    (i) The repetitive visual inspection requirements using Shorts 
Service Bulletin No. 57-59, which is referenced on page 3 of Shorts 
Service Bulletin No. 51-51, Revision No.: 6, dated: March 14, 1983, 
paragraph C (Special limitations) are every 2,400 flights; and the 
repetitive visual inspection program in Skyvan Maintenance Program, 
Maintenance Program Appendix 1, parts A and B (Section 57-00, Item 
3) are every 1,100 flights or 800 hours TIS intervals, whichever 
occurs first. You must use the repetitive inspection intervals of 
the Skyvan Maintenance Program for the repetitive inspection of the 
wing structure, skin, and skin doublers to be every 1,100 flights or 
800 hours TIS, whichever occurs first and not the 2,400 flights as 
stated in Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-51, Revision No.: 6, dated: 
March 14, 1983.

Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (j) The Manager, Standards Office, Small Airplane Directorate, 
FAA, 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.
    (k) AMOCs approved for AD 2003-17-05 are approved for this AD.

Material Incorporated by Reference

    (l) You must use Shorts Service Bulletin Number 51-52, Revision 
No: 4, dated July 16, 2002; or Shorts Service Bulletin Number 51-51, 
Revision No: 6, dated March 14, 1983; or Shorts Service Bulletin 
Number 51-51, Revision No: 8, dated July 5, 2006, to do the actions 
required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference of Shorts Service Bulletin Number 51-51, 
Revision No: 8, dated July 5, 2006, under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR 
part 51.
    (2) The Director of the Federal Register previously approved the 
incorporation by reference of Shorts Service Bulletin No. 51-51, 
Revision No.: 6, dated: March 14, 1983; and Shorts Service Bulletin 
No. 51-52, Revision No.: 4, dated: July 16, 2002, on September 29, 
2003 (68 FR 50689, August 22, 2003).
    (3) For service information identified in this AD, contact Short 
Brothers PLC, P.O. Box 241, Airport Road, Belfast BT3 9DZ Northern 
Ireland; telephone: 011 44 (0) 28 9045 8444; facsimile: 011 44 (0) 
28 9073 3396.
    (4) You may review copies at the FAA, FAA, Central Region, 
Office of the Regional Counsel, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 
64106; or at the National Archives and Records Administration 
(NARA). For information on the availability of this material at 
NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on February 8, 2007.
Kim Smith,
Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
 [FR Doc. E7-2505 Filed 2-15-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P