[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 158 (Thursday, August 16, 2007)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 45968-45970]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-16115]



[[Page 45968]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2007-28988; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-047-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Boeing Model 747-400 and -400D Series 
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 Boeing Model 747-400 and -400D series airplanes. This 
proposed AD would require installing new relays to allow the flightcrew 
to turn off electrical power to the in-flight entertainment (IFE) 
system and other non-essential passenger cabin systems through the left 
and right utility bus switches, and other specified actions. This 
proposed AD results from an IFE systems review. We are proposing this 
AD to ensure that the flightcrew is able to turn off electrical power 
to the IFE system and other non-essential passenger cabin systems 
through utility bus switches in the flight compartment, in the event of 
smoke or fumes. The flightcrew's inability to turn off electrical power 
to the IFE system and other non-essential passenger cabin systems could 
result in the inability to control smoke or fumes in the airplane 
flight deck or passenger cabin during a non-normal or emergency 
situation.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by October 1, 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 Boeing Commercial Airplanes, P.O. Box 3707, Seattle, 
Washington 98124-2207, for the service information identified in this 
proposed AD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shohreh Safarian, Aerospace Engineer, 
Systems and Equipment Branch, ANM-130S, FAA, Seattle Aircraft 
Certification Office, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 98057-
3356; telephone (425) 917-6418; fax (425) 917-6590.

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-
28988; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-047-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 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 DOT street address stated in 
the ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available in the AD docket 
shortly after the Docket Management System receives them.

Discussion

    The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) completed a review of in-
flight entertainment (IFE) systems installed on transport category 
airplanes. The review focused on the interface between the IFE system 
and airplane electrical system, with the objective of determining if 
any unsafe conditions exist with regard to the interface.
    The type of IFE systems considered for review were those that 
contain video monitors (cathode ray tubes or liquid crystal displays, 
either hanging above the aisle or mounted on individual seat backs or 
seat trays), or complex circuitry (i.e., power supplies, electronic 
distribution boxes, extensive wire routing, relatively high power 
consumption, multiple layers of circuit protection, etc.). In addition, 
in-seat power supply systems that provide power to more than 20 percent 
of the total passenger seats were also considered for the review. The 
types of IFE systems not considered for review include systems that 
provide only audio signals to each passenger seat, ordinary in-flight 
telephone systems (e.g., one telephone handset per group of seats or 
bulkhead-mounted telephones), systems that have only a video monitor on 
the forward bulkhead(s) (or a projection system) to provide passengers 
with basic airplane and flight information, and in-seat power supply 
systems that provide power to less than 20 percent of the total 
passenger seats.
    Items considered during the review include the following:
     Can the electrical bus(es) supplying power to the IFE 
system be de-energized when necessary without removing power from 
systems that may be required for continued safe flight and landing?
     Can IFE system power be removed when required without 
pulling IFE system circuit breakers (i.e., is there a switch (dedicated 
to the IFE system or a combination of loads) located in the flight deck 
or cabin that can be used to remove IFE power?
     If the IFE system requires changes to flightcrew 
procedures, has the airplane flight manual (AFM) been properly amended?
     If the IFE system requires changes to cabin crew 
procedures, have they been properly amended?
     Does the IFE system require periodic or special 
maintenance?
    In all, we reviewed approximately 180 IFE systems. The review 
results indicate that potential unsafe conditions exist on some IFE 
systems installed on various transport category airplanes. These 
conditions can be summarized as:

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     Electrical bus(es) supplying power to the IFE system 
cannot be de-energized when necessary without removing power from 
systems that may be required for continued safe flight and landing.
     Power cannot be removed from the IFE system when required 
without pulling IFE system circuit breakers (i.e., there is no switch 
dedicated to the IFE system or combination of systems for the purpose 
of removing power).
     Installation of the IFE system has affected crew 
(flightcrew and/or cabin crew) procedures, but the procedures have not 
been properly revised.
    Boeing has received numerous reports of smoke or flames in the 
passenger cabin of Model 747-400 series airplanes. Investigation of 
several of these reports revealed that the source of the smoke and 
flames was the wiring for the passenger cabin IFE system, cabin 
lighting, or passenger seats. Currently, the flightcrew is not able to 
turn off power to the IFE system and other non-essential passenger 
cabin systems through utility bus switches in the flight compartment, 
in the event of smoke or fumes. The flightcrew's inability to turn off 
electrical power to the IFE system and other non-essential passenger 
cabin systems, if not corrected, could result in the inability to 
control smoke or fumes in the airplane flight deck or passenger cabin 
during a non-normal or emergency situation.

Relevant Service Information

    We have reviewed Boeing Service Bulletin 747-24-2246, dated October 
6, 2005. The service bulletin describes procedures for installing new 
relays to allow the flightcrew to turn off electrical power to the IFE 
system and other non-essential passenger cabin systems through the left 
and right utility bus switches, and doing other specified actions. The 
other specified actions include installing new wiring, rerouting 
existing wiring, removing certain wiring, and testing the cabin 
lighting, passenger IFE systems, and certain circuit breakers. 
Accomplishing the actions specified in the service information is 
intended to adequately address the unsafe condition.

FAA's Determination and Requirements of the Proposed AD

    We have evaluated all pertinent information and identified an 
unsafe condition that is likely to exist or develop on other airplanes 
of this same type design. For this reason, we are proposing this AD, 
which would require accomplishing the actions specified in the service 
information described previously.

Costs of Compliance

    There are about 490 airplanes of the affected design in the 
worldwide fleet. This proposed AD would affect about 62 airplanes of 
U.S. registry. The proposed actions would take about 123 work hours per 
airplane, at an average labor rate of $80 per work hour. Required parts 
would cost between $9,412 and $11,936 per airplane. Based on these 
figures, the estimated cost of the proposed AD for U.S. operators is up 
to $1,350,112, or up to $21,776 per airplane.

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):

BOEING: Docket No. FAA-2007-28988; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-
047-AD.

Comments Due Date

    (a) The FAA must receive comments on this AD action by October 
1, 2007.

Affected ADs

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to Boeing Model 747-400 and -400D series 
airplanes, certificated in any category; as identified in Boeing 
Service Bulletin 747-24-2246, dated October 6, 2005.

Unsafe Condition

    (d) This AD results from an in-flight entertainment (IFE) 
systems review. We are issuing this AD to ensure that the flightcrew 
is able to turn off electrical power to the IFE system and other 
non-essential passenger cabin systems through utility bus switches 
in the flight compartment, in the event of smoke or fumes. The 
flightcrew's inability to turn off electrical power to the IFE 
system and other non-essential passenger cabin systems could result 
in the inability to control smoke or fumes in the airplane flight 
deck or passenger cabin during a non-normal or emergency situation.

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.

Install New Relays

    (f) Within 60 months after the effective date of this AD, 
install new relays to allow the flightcrew to turn off electrical 
power to the IFE system and other non-essential passenger cabin 
systems through the left and right utility bus switches and do all 
other specified actions as applicable, by accomplishing all the 
applicable actions specified in the Accomplishment Instructions of 
Boeing Service Bulletin 747-24-2246, dated October 6, 2005. The 
other specified actions must be done before further flight after 
installing the new relays.

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Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (g)(1) The Manager, Seattle 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.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on July 30, 2007.
Ali Bahrami,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. E7-16115 Filed 8-15-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P