[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 102 (Friday, May 29, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 25684-25686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-12524]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2009-0489; Directorate Identifier 2009-CE-025-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Air Tractor, Inc. Models AT-802 and AT-
802A Airplanes

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

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for 
certain Air Tractor, Inc. (Air Tractor) Models AT-802 and AT-802A 
airplanes. This proposed AD would require installing a rudder-aileron 
interconnect cable system shield kit and securing any items stowed in 
the baggage compartment using tie downs and/or a cargo net until the 
cable shield kit is installed. This proposed AD results from a report 
of the rudder pedal cable becoming jammed in flight. We are proposing 
this AD to prevent jamming of the rudder-aileron interconnect cables by 
unsecured items in the baggage compartment, which could result in 
failure of the rudder-aileron interconnect cable system. This failure 
could lead to loss of control.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by July 28, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Use one of the following addresses to comment on this 
proposed AD:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
     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.
     Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    For service information identified in this proposed AD, contact Air 
Tractor, Inc., P.O. Box 485, Olney, Texas 76374; telephone: (940) 564-
5616; facsimile: (940) 564-5612; E-mail: [email protected]; 
Internet: http://www.airtractor.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andy McAnaul, Aerospace Engineer, 
10100 Reunion Pl., Ste. 650, San Antonio, Texas 78216; telephone: (210) 
308-3365; fax: (210) 308-3370.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited

    We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or 
arguments regarding this proposed AD. Send your comments to an address 
listed under the ADDRESSES section. Include the docket number, ``FAA-
2009-0489; Directorate Identifier 2009-CE-025-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://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. We 
will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact we 
receive concerning this proposed AD.

Discussion

    We received a report of an Air Tractor Model AT-802 airplane rudder 
pedal jamming in flight. The pilot was able to maintain control and 
land. After landing, a cable pulley in the rudder system was found 
broken. Air Tractor believes one or more unsecured items in the baggage 
compartment became entangled in the cables and caused them to jam, 
resulting in failure of the pulley.
    Air Tractor has designed a modification kit that installs shielding 
in the baggage compartment to prevent unsecured stowed items from 
becoming entangled in the rudder-aileron interconnect cable system.
    This condition, if not corrected, could result in jamming of the 
rudder-aileron interconnect cables by unsecured items in the baggage 
compartment, which could result in failure of the rudder-aileron 
interconnect cable system. This failure could lead to loss of control.

Relevant Service Information

    We have reviewed Snow Engineering Co., Service Letter 274, 
Revision A, dated April 6, 2009.
    The service information describes procedures for installing a cable 
shield in the baggage compartment.

FAA's Determination and Requirements of the Proposed AD

    We are proposing this AD because we evaluated all information and 
determined the unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist 
or develop on other products of the same type design. This proposed AD 
would require installing a rudder-aileron interconnect cable system 
shield kit and securing any items stowed in the baggage compartment 
using tie downs and/or a cargo net until the cable shield kit is 
installed.
    Normally, the FAA would use a compliance time of hours time-in-
service (TIS) or a certain number of months. The proposed AD uses a 
calendar date for compliance instead of hours TIS or a certain number 
of months. We are using the calendar date of before December 31, 2009, 
to allow owners with airplanes used in agricultural spray operations 
until the end of the spray season to install the rudder-aileron 
interconnect cable system shields (terminating action).

Differences Between This Proposed AD and the Service Information

    This proposed AD would require securing stowed items in the baggage 
compartment with tie-down straps or a cargo net until the rudder-
aileron interconnect cable system shield required in the proposed AD is

[[Page 25685]]

installed. The requirements of this proposed AD, if adopted as a final 
rule, would take precedence over the provisions in the service 
information.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this proposed AD would affect 210 airplanes in the 
U.S. registry.
    We estimate the following costs to do the proposed modification:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Total cost
          Labor cost            Parts cost   Total cost per    on U.S.
                                                airplane      operators
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Cable Shield Kit SL274: 4.5 work-hours x $80                 airplanes at
 per hour = $360.                            $1,220 each.
Cable Shield Kit SL274-2: 4.5 work-hours x                   airplanes at
 $80 per hour = $360.                        $900 each.
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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.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket that contains the proposed AD, the 
regulatory evaluation, any comments received, and other information on 
the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov; or in person at the Docket 
Management Facility between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays. The Docket Office (telephone (800) 647-5527) 
is located at the street address stated 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.

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 FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new AD:

Air Tractor, Inc.: Docket No. FAA-2009-0489; Directorate Identifier 
2009-CE-025-AD.

Comments Due Date

    (a) We must receive comments on this airworthiness directive 
(AD) action by July 28, 2009.

Affected ADs

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to Model AT-802 and AT-802A airplanes, 
serial numbers 802/802A-001 through 802/802A-0319, that are 
certificated in any category.

Unsafe Condition

    (d) This AD results from a report of the rudder pedal cable 
becoming jammed in flight. We are proposing this AD to prevent 
jamming of the rudder-aileron interconnect cables by unsecured items 
in the baggage compartment, which could result in failure of the 
rudder-aileron interconnect cable system. This failure could lead to 
loss of control.

Compliance

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

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            Actions                   Compliance                               Procedures
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(1) Secure any items stowed in  Before further flight  Not applicable.
 the baggage compartment using   after the effective
 tie down straps and/or a        date of this AD
 cargo net.                      until the
                                 installation of the
                                 rudder-aileron
                                 interconnect cable
                                 shield kit required
                                 in paragraph (e)(2)
                                 of this AD is done.
(2) Install the following       No later than          Snow Engineering Co., Service Letter 274,
 rudder-aileron interconnect     December 31, 2009.     Revision A, dated April 6, 2009.
 cable shield kit, as
 applicable.
 (i) For all airplanes
 equipped for agricultural
 spray operations and all fire-
 fighting airplanes
 retrofitted with Gen II Fire
 Retardant Delivery System
 relay box, install cable
 shield kit SL274.
 (ii) For all fire-fighting
 airplanes not equipped with
 Gen II Fire Retardant
 Delivery System relay box,
 install cable shield kit
 SL274-2.

[[Page 25686]]

 
 (iii) Installation of the
 applicable cable shield kit
 SL274 or SL274-2 terminates the
 requirement of paragraph
 (e)(1) of this AD.
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Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (f) The Manager, Fort Worth Airplane Certification 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: Andy 
McAnaul, Aerospace Engineer, 10100 Reunion Pl., Ste. 650, San 
Antonio, Texas 78216; telephone: (210) 308-3365; fax: (210) 308-
3370. 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

    (g) To get copies of the service information referenced in this 
AD, contact Air Tractor, Inc., P.O. Box 485, Olney, Texas 76374; 
telephone: (940) 564-5616; facsimile: (940) 564-5612; E-mail: 
[email protected]; Internet: http://www.airtractor.com. To view 
the AD docket, go to U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, or on the Internet at 
http://www.regulations.gov.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on May 20, 2009.
Kim Smith,
Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. E9-12524 Filed 5-28-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P