[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 185 (Friday, September 25, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48870-48872]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-23209]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2009-0776; Directorate Identifier 2009-NE-32-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Dowty Propellers R408/6-123-F/17 Model
Propellers
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the
products listed above. This proposed 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: Friction or contact between a propeller de-ice bus bar
and the backplate assembly can cause failure of the bus bar and a
consequent intermittent short circuit. Such a short circuit can cause a
dual AC generator shutdown that, particularly in conjunction with an
engine failure in icing conditions, could result in reduced
controllability of the airplane.
We are proposing this AD to prevent an in-flight double generator
failure, which could result in reduced controllability of the airplane.
DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by October 26,
2009.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for sending your
comments electronically.
Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., West Building Ground
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Fax: (202) 493-2251.
Contact Dowty Propellers, Anson Business Park, Cheltenham Road
East, Gloucester GL 29QN, UK; telephone: 44 (0) 1452 716000; fax: 44
(0) 1452 716001, for the service information identified in this
proposed AD.
Examining the AD Docket
You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://
[[Page 48871]]
www.regulations.gov; or in person at the Docket Operations office
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. The AD docket contains this proposed AD, the regulatory
evaluation, any comments received, and other information. The street
address for the Docket Operations office (telephone (800) 647-5527) is
the same as the Mail address provided in the ADDRESSES section.
Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terry Fahr, Aerospace Engineer, Boston
Aircraft Certification Office, FAA, Engine and Propeller Directorate,
12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; e-mail:
[email protected]; telephone (781) 238-7155; fax (781) 238-7170.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or
arguments about this proposed AD. Send your comments to an address
listed under the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2009-0776;
Directorate Identifier 2009-NE-32-AD'' at the beginning of your
comments. We specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory,
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this proposed AD. We
will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend
this proposed AD based on 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
with FAA personnel concerning this proposed AD. Using the search
function of the Web site, anyone can find and read the comments in any
of our dockets, including, if provided, 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).
Discussion
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical
Agent for the Member States of the European Community, has issued EASA
Airworthiness Directive AD 2009-0114, dated May 28, 2009 (referred to
after this as ``the MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition for the
specified products. The MCAI states:
Friction or contact between a propeller de-ice bus bar and the
backplate assembly can cause failure of the bus bar and a consequent
intermittent short circuit. Such a short circuit can cause a dual AC
generator shutdown that, particularly in conjunction with an engine
failure in icing conditions, could result in reduced controllability
of the airplane.
For the reason described above, this AD requires initial and
repetitive application of sealant between the propeller bus bar
assemblies and the backplate assembly.
You may obtain further information by examining the MCAI in the AD
docket.
Relevant Service Information
Dowty Propellers has issued Service Bulletin No. D8400-61-66,
Revision 1, dated May 4, 2007. The actions described in this service
information are intended to correct the unsafe condition identified in
the MCAI.
FAA's Determination and Requirements of This Proposed AD
This propeller has been approved by the aviation authority of the
United Kingdom and is approved for operation in the United States.
Pursuant to our bilateral agreement with the United Kingdom, they have
notified us of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI and service
information referenced above. We are proposing this AD because we
evaluated all information provided by EASA and determined the unsafe
condition exists and is likely to exist or develop on other propellers
of the same type design. This proposed AD would require initial
applications of sealant between the bus bar assembly and the backplate
assembly of line-replaceable units (LRU) serial numbers (SNs) below
DAP0347, and repetitive applications of sealant on all R408/6-123-F/17
model propellers.
Differences Between This AD and the Service Information
We have reviewed the related service information and, in general,
agree with its substance, which gives instructions on performing a one-
time application of sealant for R408/6-123-F/17 model propellers with a
hub, actuator, and backplate assembly LRU SNs below DAP0347. However,
we have found it necessary to also require repetitive applications of
sealant for all R408/6-123-F/17 model propellers, the same as the MCAI.
This difference is described in a separate paragraph of the proposed
AD.
Costs of Compliance
Based on the service information, we estimate that this proposed AD
would affect about 104 propellers installed on airplanes of U.S.
registry. We also estimate that it would take about 2 work-hours per
propeller to comply with this proposed AD. The average labor rate is
$80 per work-hour. Required parts would cost about $20 per propeller.
Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of the proposed AD on U.S.
operators to be $18,720.
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 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 this 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.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by
reference, Safety.
[[Page 48872]]
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:
Dowty Propellers (formerly Dowty Aerospace; Dowty Rotol Limited; and
Dowty Rotol): Docket No. FAA-2009-0776; Directorate Identifier 2009-
NE-32-AD.
Comments Due Date
(a) We must receive comments by October 26, 2009.
Affected Airworthiness Directives (ADs)
(b) None.
Applicability
(c) This AD applies to Dowty Propellers R408/6-123-F/17 model
propellers. These propellers are installed on, but not limited to,
Bombardier, Inc. (formerly de Havilland Canada) models DHC-8-400,
DHC-8-401, and DHC-8-402 series airplanes.
Reason
(d) 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. We are issuing this AD to prevent an in-flight double
generator failure, which could result in reduced controllability of
the airplane.
Actions and Compliance
(e) Unless already done, do the following actions.
(1) For R408/6-123-F/17 model propellers with a hub, actuator,
and backplate assembly line-replaceable unit (LRU) SNs below
DAP0347, do the following initial sealant application within 5,000
flight hours (FH) after the effective date of this AD:
(i) Apply sealant between the bus bar assemblies and the
backplate assembly.
(ii) Use paragraph 3 of the Accomplishment Instructions of Dowty
Propellers Service Bulletin No. D8400-61-66, Revision 1, dated May
4, 2007, to do the sealant application.
(2) Thereafter, for all R408/6-123-F/17 model propellers, re-
apply sealant as specified in paragraphs (e)(1)(i) through
(e)(1)(ii) within every additional 10,000 FH.
Installation Prohibition
(3) After modification of all propellers on an airplane as
required by paragraph (e)(1) of this AD, do not install any Dowty
R408/6-123-F/17 propeller on that airplane unless sealant has been
applied between the bus bar assemblies and the backplate assembly of
that propeller using the requirements of this AD.
FAA AD Differences
(f) Dowty Propellers Service Bulletin No. D8400-61-66, Revision
1, dated May 4, 2007, requires a one-time application of sealant for
R408/6-123-F/17 model propellers with a hub, actuator, and backplate
assembly LRU SNs below DAP0347. However, this AD and the MCAI
require repetitive applications of sealant for all R408/6-123-F/17
model propellers.
Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)
(g) The Manager, Boston Aircraft Certification Office, FAA, has
the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using the
procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19.
Related Information
(h) Refer to EASA AD 2009-0114, dated May 28, 2009, and Dowty
Propellers Service Bulletin No. D8400-61-66, Revision 1, dated May
4, 2007, for related information. Contact Dowty Propellers, Anson
Business Park, Cheltenham Road East, Gloucester GL 29QN, UK;
telephone: 44 (0) 1452 716000; fax: 44 (0) 1452 716001, for a copy
of this service information.
(i) Contact Terry Fahr, Aerospace Engineer, Boston Aircraft
Certification Office, FAA, Engine and Propeller Directorate, 12 New
England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; e-mail:
[email protected]; telephone (781) 238-7155; fax (781) 238-7170,
for more information about this AD.
Issued in Burlington, MA, on September 21, 2009.
Peter A. White,
Assistant Manager, Engine and Propeller Directorate, Aircraft
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. E9-23209 Filed 9-24-09; 8:45 am]
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