[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 160 (Thursday, August 19, 2010)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 51187-51188]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-20561]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
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 

  Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 160 / Thursday, August 19, 2010 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 51187]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2010-0829; Directorate Identifier 2010-NE-23-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC) 
PW305A and PW305B Turboprop Engines

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: As a result of a change in the low-cycle fatigue lifing 
methodology for the IMI 834 material, the recommended service life of 
certain PW305A and PW305B Impellers has been reduced, as published in 
the Airworthiness Limitations (AWL) section of Engine Maintenance 
Manual (EMM). The in-service life of impellers P/N 30B2185, 30B2486 and 
30B2858-01 has been reduced from 12,000 to 7,000 cycles; and of P/N 
30B4565-01 from 8,500 to 7,000 cycles. We are proposing this AD to 
prevent failure of the impeller, which could result in an uncontained 
event and possible damage to the airplane.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by October 4, 2010.

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 Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp., 1000 Marie-Victorin, 
Longueuil, Quebec, Canada, J4G 1A1; telephone 800-268-8000; fax 450-
647-2888; Web site: www.pwc.ca, for the service information identified 
in this proposed AD.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://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 (phone (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: James Lawrence, Aerospace Engineer, 
Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 
New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; e-mail: 
[email protected]; phone: (781) 238-7176; fax: (781) 238-7199.

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-2010-0829; 
Directorate Identifier 2010-NE-23-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

    Transport Canada, which is the aviation authority for Canada, has 
issued Canada Airworthiness Directive CF-2010-09, dated March 17, 2010, 
(referred to after this as ``the MCAI''), to correct an unsafe 
condition for the specified products. The MCAI states:

    As a result of a change in the low-cycle fatigue lifing 
methodology for the IMI 834 material, the recommended service life 
of certain PW305A and PW305B Impellers has been reduced, as 
published in the Airworthiness Limitations (AWL) section of Engine 
Maintenance Manual (EMM).
    The in-service life of impellers P/N 30B2185, 30B2486 and 
30B2858-01 has been reduced from 12,000 to 7,000 cycles; and of P/N 
30B4565-01 from 8,500 to 7,000 cycles.
    This Airworthiness Directive (AD) is issued to mandate the 
incorporation of the revised in-service life limits for the affected 
impellers, in the AWL section of EMM, as introduced by Temporary 
Revision (TR) AL-8.
    Within 30 days from the effective date of this AD, update AWL 
section of your PW305 EMM P/N 30B1402, to incorporate TR AL-8 for 
compliance with the revised in-service limits for the affected 
Impellers, installed on PW305A and PW305B engine.

You may obtain further information by examining the MCAI in the AD 
docket.

Relevant Service Information

    Pratt & Whitney Canada has issued Maintenance Manual Part Number 
30B1402 Temporary Revision No. AL-8, dated January 20, 2010. The 
reduced cycle limits 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 product has been approved by the aviation authority of Canada, 
and is approved for operation in the United

[[Page 51188]]

States. Pursuant to our bilateral agreement with Canada, 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 Canada and determined the unsafe 
condition exists and is likely to exist or develop on other products of 
the same type design.

Costs of Compliance

    Based on the service information, we estimate that this proposed AD 
would affect about 114 products of U.S. registry. We also estimate that 
it would take about 0 work-hours per product to comply with this 
proposed AD. The average labor rate is $85 per work-hour. Required 
parts would cost about $54,288 per product. Based on these figures, we 
estimate the cost of the proposed AD on U.S. operators to be 
$6,188,832. Our cost estimate is exclusive of possible warranty 
coverage.

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.

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:

Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (Formerly Pratt & Whitney Canada, 
Inc.): Docket No. FAA-2010-0829; Directorate Identifier 2010-NE-23-
AD.

Comments Due Date

    (a) We must receive comments by October 4, 2010.

Affected Airworthiness Directives (ADs)

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC) 
PW305A and PW305B turboprop engines with certain impellers, part 
numbers (P/Ns) 30B2185, 30B2486, 30B2858-01, or 30B4565-01 
installed. These engines are installed on, but not limited to, 
Hawker-Beech Corporation BAe.125 series 1000A, 1000B, and Hawker 
1000 airplanes and Learjet Inc. Learjet 60 airplanes.

Reason

    (d) This AD results from:
    As a result of a change in the low-cycle fatigue lifing 
methodology for the IMI 834 material, the recommended service life 
of certain PW305A and PW305B Impellers has been reduced, as 
published in the Airworthiness Limitations (AWL) section of Engine 
Maintenance Manual (EMM).
    The in-service life of impellers P/N 30B2185, 30B2486 and 
30B2858-01 has been reduced from 12,000 to 7,000 cycles; and of P/N 
30B4565-01 from 8,500 to 7,000 cycles.
    We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the impeller, which 
could result in an uncontained event and possible damage to the 
airplane.

Actions and Compliance

    (e) Unless already done, do the following actions.
    (f) Within 30 days from the effective date of this AD, update 
AWL section of your PW305 EMM P/N 30B1402, to incorporate Temporary 
Revision (TR) AL-8, dated January 20, 2010, for compliance with the 
revised in-service limits for the affected Impellers, installed on 
PW305A and PW305B engine.

FAA AD Differences

    (g) None.

Other FAA AD Provisions

    (h) The following provisions also apply to this AD:
    (i) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, 
Engine 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

    (j) Refer to MCAI Transport Canada Airworthiness Directive CF-
2010-09, dated March 17, 2010, and P&WC Temporary Revision No. AL-8, 
dated January 20, 2010, to P&WC EMM P/N 30B1402 for related 
information. Contact Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp., 1000 Marie-
Victorin, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada, J4G 1A1; telephone (800) 268-
8000; fax (450) 647-2888; or go to: http://www.pwc.ca, for a copy of 
this service information.
    (k) Contact James Lawrence, Aerospace Engineer, Engine 
Certification Office, FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 New 
England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; e-mail: 
[email protected]; phone: (781) 238-7176; fax: (781) 238-7199, 
for more information about this AD.

    Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on August 13, 2010.
Francis A. Favara,
Manager, Engine and Propeller Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-20561 Filed 8-18-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P