[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 172 (Thursday, September 6, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 51167-51169]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17304]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2007-27975 Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-041-AD; 
Amendment 39-15187; AD 2007-18-07]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A. Model P-
180 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) for the 
products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing 
airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by an aviation authority of 
another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an 
aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

    Several aircraft, at the factory, presented some debris in the 
hydraulic fluid of the steering system. Investigations revealed that 
some components of the steering system can be responsible for the 
fluid contamination because of an initial pollution on their 
manufacturing.
    If not corrected, a contaminated fluid could cause malfunction 
and a possible jamming of the steering system.

We are issuing this AD to require actions to correct the unsafe 
condition on these products.

DATES: This AD becomes effective October 11, 2007.
    On October 11, 2007, the Director of the Federal Register approved 
the incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in this 
AD.

ADDRESSES: You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov or in person at Document Management Facility, U.S. 
Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building 
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 
20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarjapur Nagarajan, Aerospace 
Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas 
City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4145; fax: (816) 329-4090.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

    We issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 
part 39 to include an AD that would apply to the specified products. 
That NPRM was published in the Federal Register on July 16, 2007 (72 FR 
38800). That NPRM proposed to correct an unsafe condition for the 
specified products. The MCAI states:

    Several aircraft, at the factory, presented some debris in the 
hydraulic fluid of the steering system. Investigations revealed that 
some components of the steering system can be responsible for the 
fluid contamination because of an initial pollution on their 
manufacturing.
    If not corrected, a contaminated fluid could cause malfunction 
and a possible jamming of the steering system.
    The superseded Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2007-0088-E was 
previously issued to address the unsafe condition.
    The present Airworthiness Directive expands applicability of 
this AD to all P.180 `Avanti' series aircraft and the list of 
defective components as listed in revision 1 of Piaggio Aero 
Industries Mandatory Service Bulletin No 80-0236. This AD also 
requires Temporary Changes to the respective Airplane Flight Manual 
(AFM) and Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) and introduces 
procedures to recondition defective units.

Comments

    We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing 
this AD. We considered the comment received.

Comment Issue: Replacement of Nose Landing Gear

    One commenter suggests that the nose landing gear (NLG) does not 
need to be replaced as required in paragraph (f)(2)(ii) of this AD, but 
rather the steering actuator and manifold mounted to the NLG need to be 
replaced.
    We agree with the commenter that it is the steering actuator and 
the manifold that need to be replaced and not the entire NLG. However, 
the service bulletin requires removing and sending the original NLG to 
a Messier-Dowty engineer to do the actuator and manifold replacement. 
The service bulletin then requires installing a serviceable NLG. The 
replacement NLG could be the original, which has been rebuilt according 
to Annex 8 of Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A. Service Bulletin 
(Mandatory) N.: 80-0236 Rev. 1, dated May 15, 2007 (Messier-Dowty 
Service Bulletin No. P180-32-24, dated May 15, 2007), or it could be an 
exchanged NLG that complies with this AD. We have

[[Page 51168]]

added a note to clarify that the NLG can be the same one that was 
removed if it has been serviced to comply with this AD.

Conclusion

    We reviewed the available data, including the comment received, and 
determined that air safety and the public interest require adopting the 
AD with the changes described previously. We determined that these 
changes will not increase the economic burden on any operator or 
increase the scope of the AD.

Differences Between This AD and the MCAI or Service Information

    We have reviewed the MCAI and related service information and, in 
general, agree with their substance. But we might have found it 
necessary to use different words from those in the MCAI to ensure the 
AD is clear for U.S. operators and is enforceable. In making these 
changes, we do not intend to differ substantively from the information 
provided in the MCAI and related service information.
    We might also have required different actions in this AD from those 
in the MCAI in order to follow FAA policies. Any such differences are 
highlighted in a Note within the AD.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this AD will affect 63 products of U.S. registry. 
We also estimate that it will take about 1 work-hour per product to 
comply with basic requirements of this AD. The average labor rate is 
$80 per work-hour.
    Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of this AD to the U.S. 
operators to be $5,040, or $80 per product.
    In addition, we estimate that any necessary follow-on actions would 
take about 14 work-hours, for a cost of $1,120 per product. Where the 
service information lists required parts costs that are covered under 
warranty, we have assumed that there will be no charge for these costs. 
As we do not control warranty coverage for affected parties, some 
parties may incur costs higher than estimated here. We have no way of 
determining the number of products that may need these actions.

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 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 this AD:
    (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive 
Order 12866;
    (2) Is not a ``significant rule'' under 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 AD and placed it in the AD Docket.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket 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 AD 
docket contains the NPRM, the regulatory evaluation, any comments 
received, and other information. The street address for the Docket 
Office (telephone (800) 647-5527) is 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, Incorporation by 
reference, Safety.

Adoption of the Amendment

0
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, 
the FAA amends 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 adding the following new AD:

2007-18-07 Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A.: Amendment 39-15187; 
Docket No. FAA-2007-27975; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-041-AD.

Effective Date

    (a) This airworthiness directive (AD) becomes effective October 
11, 2007.

Affected ADs

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to Model P-180 airplanes, all serial 
numbers, certificated in any category.

Subject

    (d) Air Transport Association of America (ATA) Code 32: Landing 
Gear.

Reason

    (e) The mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) 
states:
    Several aircraft, at the factory, presented some debris in the 
hydraulic fluid of the steering system. Investigations revealed that 
some components of the steering system can be responsible for the 
fluid contamination because of an initial pollution on their 
manufacturing.
    If not corrected, a contaminated fluid could cause malfunction 
and a possible jamming of the steering system.
    The superseded Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2007-0088-E was 
previously issued to address the unsafe condition.
    The present Airworthiness Directive expands applicability of 
this AD to all P.180 `Avanti' series aircraft and the list of 
defective components as listed in revision 1 of Piaggio Aero 
Industries Mandatory Service Bulletin No 80-0236. This AD also 
requires Temporary Changes to the respective Airplane Flight Manual 
(AFM) and Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) and introduces 
procedures to recondition defective units.

Actions and Compliance

    (f) Unless already done, do the following actions:
    (1) Within the next 30 hours time-in-service (TIS) after October 
11, 2007 (the effective date of this AD) or 30 days after October 
11, 2007 (the effective date of this AD), whichever occurs first, 
inspect the identification of the steering actuator and the steering 
manifold installed on the airplane following Piaggio Aero Industries 
S.p.A. Service Bulletin (Mandatory) N.: 80-0236 Rev. 1, dated May 
15, 2007.
    (2) If any steering actuator listed in annex 7.1 or manifold 
listed in annex 7.2 of Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A. Service 
Bulletin (Mandatory) N.: 80-0236 Rev. 1, dated May

[[Page 51169]]

15, 2007, is found in the inspection per paragraph (f)(1) of this 
AD:
    (i) Before further flight after the inspection per paragraph 
(f)(1) of this AD, insert Temporary Change 3, issued March 15, 2007, 
into the LIMITATIONS section of Report 6591 (the airplane flight 
manual (AFM)) for P-180 Avanti Aircraft or Temporary Change 2, 
issued March 15, 2007, into the LIMITATIONS section of Report 180-
MAN-0010-01100 (the AFM) for P-180 Avanti II aircraft. The owner/
operator holding at least a private pilot certificate as authorized 
by section 43.7 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 43.7) 
may do this action. Make an entry in the aircraft records showing 
compliance with this portion of the AD following section 43.9 of the 
Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR 43.9).
    (ii) Within the next 600 hours TIS after October 11, 2007 (the 
effective date of this AD) or 12 months after October 11, 2007 (the 
effective date of this AD), whichever occurs first, replace the nose 
landing gear (NLG) following Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A. Service 
Bulletin (Mandatory) N.: 80-0236 Rev. 1, dated May 15, 2007.

    Note 1: The replacement NLG could be the same unit that was 
removed from the aircraft and serviced in accordance with Annex 8 of 
Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A. Service Bulletin (Mandatory) N.: 80-
0236 Rev. 1, dated May 15, 2007 (Messier-Dowty Service Bulletin No. 
P180-32-24, dated May 15, 2007), or it could be a different NLG that 
complies with this AD.

    (iii) After replacement of the NLG per paragraph (f)(2)(ii) of 
this AD, remove the steering system temporary limitations from the 
LIMITATIONS section of the AFM.
    (3) Before further flight after accomplishment of the inspection 
specified in paragraph (f)(1) of this AD, do not install any 
steering actuator listed in annex 7.1 or manifold listed in annex 
7.2 of Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A. Service Bulletin (Mandatory) 
N.: 80-0236 Rev. 1, dated May 15, 2007.

    Note 2: We encourage you to incorporate Temporary Revision 1 
into the maintenance program (aircraft maintenance manual (AMM) 
P.180 Avanti report 9066) or Temporary Revision 11 into the 
maintenance program (AMM P.180 Avanti II report 180-MAN-0200-01105). 
The temporary revisions require confirmation that the steering 
manifold and steering actuator are compliant with Piaggio Aero 
Industries S.p.A. Service Bulletin (Mandatory) N.: 80-0236 Rev. 1, 
dated May 15, 2007.

FAA AD Differences

    Note 3: This AD differs from the MCAI and/or service information 
as follows: The MCAI requires the initial inspection action within 5 
hours TIS. We consider 5 hours TIS an urgent safety of flight 
compliance time, and we do not consider this unsafe condition to be 
an urgent safety of flight condition. Because we do not consider 
this unsafe condition to be an urgent safety of flight condition, we 
issued this action through the normal notice of proposed rulemaking 
(NPRM) AD process followed by this final rule. The initial 
compliance time of 30 hours TIS after the effective date of this AD 
or 30 days after the effective date of this AD, whichever occurs 
first, is an adequate compliance time for this AD action and met the 
FAA requirements for an NPRM followed by a final rule.

Other FAA AD Provisions

    (g) The following provisions also apply to this AD:
    (1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, 
Standards Office, FAA, has the authority to approve AMOCs for this 
AD, if requested using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. Send 
information to ATTN: Sarjapur Nagarajan, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, 
Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, 
Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4145; fax: (816) 329-4090. 
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.
    (2) Airworthy Product: For any requirement in this AD to obtain 
corrective actions from a manufacturer or other source, use these 
actions if they are FAA approved. Corrective actions are considered 
FAA approved if they are approved by the State of Design Authority 
(or their delegated agent). You are required to assure the product 
is airworthy before it is returned to service.
    (3) Reporting Requirements: For any reporting requirement in 
this AD, under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et. seq.), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has 
approved the information collection requirements and has assigned 
OMB Control Number 2120 0056.

Related Information

    (h) Refer to MCAI European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) 
Emergency Airworthiness Directive EAD No: 2007-0147-E, dated May 22, 
2007; and Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A. Service Bulletin 
(Mandatory) N.: 80-0236 Rev. 1, dated May 15, 2007, for related 
information.

Material Incorporated by Reference

    (i) You must use Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A. Service Bulletin 
(Mandatory) N.: 80-0236 Rev. 1, dated May 15, 2007, 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 this service information under 5 
U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.a., Via Cibrario, 4--16154 Genoa, Italy; 
telephone +39 010 06481 741; fax: +39 010 6481 309; e-mail: 
[email protected].
    (3) You may review copies at the FAA, Central Region, Office of 
the Regional Counsel, 901 Locust, Room 506, 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/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 24, 2007.
Brian A. Yanez,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
 [FR Doc. E7-17304 Filed 9-5-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P