[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 129 (Friday, July 6, 2007)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 36925-36927]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-13125]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2007-28619; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-004-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Viking Air Limited Model DHC-7 
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 all Viking Air Limited Model DHC-7 airplanes. This proposed AD 
would require an inspection of certain SM-200 servo drive units (power 
servo motor and housing assemblies) for certain markings, related 
investigative action if necessary, and modification if necessary. This 
proposed AD results from a report that some SM-200 servo drive units 
that were not in configuration MOD H are installed on Model DHC-7 
airplanes. MOD H prevents the internal clutch fasteners from backing 
out. We are proposing this AD to prevent the possibility of internal 
clutch fasteners from backing out, which could cause an inadvertent 
servo engagement and consequent reduced controllability of the 
airplane.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by August 6, 2007.

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: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
     Hand Delivery: Room W12-140 on the ground floor of the 
West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Contact Viking Air Limited, 9574 Hampden Road, Sidney, British 
Columbia V8L 5V5, Canada, for service information identified in this 
proposed AD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ezra Sasson, Aerospace Engineer, 
Airframe and Propulsion Branch, ANE-171, FAA, New York Aircraft 
Certification Office, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, New 
York 11590; telephone (516) 228-7320; 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-2007-
28619; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-004-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 Operations office between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The 
Docket Operations office (telephone (800) 647-5527) is located on the 
ground floor of the West Building at the street address stated in the 
ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly 
after the Docket Management System receives them.

Discussion

    Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), which is the airworthiness 
authority for Canada, notified us that an unsafe condition might exist 
on all Viking Air Limited Model DHC-7 airplanes. TCCA advises that 
investigation revealed that some SM-200 servo drive units (power servo 
motor and housing assemblies) within certain date codes installed on 
the automatic flight control system of the de Havilland DHC-7 aircraft 
were mislabeled as having been manufactured to MOD H configuration 
when, in fact, they did not have MOD H installed. MOD H prevents the 
possibility of internal clutch fasteners from backing out. This 
condition, if not corrected, could result in the internal clutch 
fasteners backing out, which could cause an inadvertent servo 
engagement and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane.

[[Page 36926]]

Relevant Service Information

    Viking has issued Alert Service Bulletin 7-22-20, dated May 29, 
2006. The alert service bulletin describes procedures for doing an 
inspection of the SM-200 power servo motor and housing assembly, part 
numbers 4006719-904, -913, and -933, to determine if MOD H is marked, 
related investigative action if necessary, and modification of the 
power servo motor and housing assembly if necessary. The related 
investigative action is an inspection for certain dates of power servo 
motor and housing assemblies that have been marked MOD H. Modifications 
are done if MOD H is not marked on the power servo motor and housing 
assembly and if power servo motor and housing assemblies that have been 
marked MOD H are within certain dates. Accomplishing the actions 
specified in the service information is intended to adequately address 
the unsafe condition. TCCA mandated the service information and issued 
Canadian airworthiness directive CF-2006-18, dated July 17, 2006, to 
ensure the continued airworthiness of these airplanes in Canada.
    The alert service bulletin refers to Honeywell Alert Service 
Bulletin 4006719-22-A0016 (Pub. No. A21-1146-008), Revision 001, dated 
November 1, 2004 as an additional source of service information for 
doing the inspection and modification.

FAA's Determination and Requirements of the Proposed AD

    These airplanes are manufactured in Canada 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. 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        registered       Fleet cost
                                                                                       rate per hour       airplane        airplanes
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Inspection.........................................................               1              $80              $80               21           $1,680
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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):

Viking Air Limited (Formerly Bombardier, Inc.): Docket No. FAA-2007-
28619; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-004-AD.

Comments Due Date

    (a) The FAA must receive comments on this AD action by August 6, 
2007.

Affected ADs

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to all Viking Air Limited Model DHC-7-1, 
DHC-7-100, DHC-7-101, DHC-7-102, and DHC-7-103 airplanes, 
certificated in any category.

Unsafe Condition

    (d) This AD results from a report that some SM-200 servo drive 
units (power servo motor and housing assemblies) that were not in 
configuration MOD H are installed on Model DHC-7 airplanes. MOD H 
prevents the possibility of internal clutch fasteners from backing 
out. We are issuing this AD to prevent the internal clutch fasteners 
from backing out, which could cause an inadvertent servo engagement 
and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane.

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.

[[Page 36927]]

Inspection and Modification

    (f) Within 12 months after the effective date of this AD: 
Inspect the SM-200 power servo motor and housing assembly, part 
numbers 4006719-904, -913 and -933, to determine if MOD H is marked, 
and before further flight, do all applicable related investigative 
action and modifications of the power servo motor and housing 
assembly, in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions of 
Viking Alert Service Bulletin 7-22-20, dated May 29, 2006.

    Note 1: The alert service bulletin refers to Honeywell Alert 
Service Bulletin 4006719-22-A0016 (Pub. No. A21-1146-008), Revision 
001, dated November 1, 2004, as an additional source of service 
information for doing the inspection, related investigative action, 
and modifications.

Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (g)(1) The Manager, New York Aircraft Certification Office, FAA, 
has the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested in 
accordance with the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19.
    (2) To request a different method of compliance or a different 
compliance time for this AD, follow the procedures in 14 CFR 39.19. 
Before using any approved AMOC on any airplane to which the AMOC 
applies, notify your appropriate principal inspector (PI) in the FAA 
Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), or lacking a PI, your local 
FSDO.

Related Information

    (h) Canadian airworthiness directive CF-2006-18, dated July 17, 
2006, also addresses the subject of this AD.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on June 25, 2007.
Ali Bahrami,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. E7-13125 Filed 7-5-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P