[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 219 (Monday, November 14, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 70379-70382]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29315]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2011-1245; Directorate Identifier 2011-CE-033-AD; RIN 
2120-AA64]


Airworthiness Directives; Cessna Aircraft Company Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: We propose to supersede an existing airworthiness directive 
(AD) that applies to certain Cessna Aircraft Company (Cessna) Models 
172R and 172S airplanes. The existing AD requires you to inspect the 
fuel return line assembly for chafing; replace the fuel return line 
assembly if chafing is found; and inspect the clearance between the 
fuel return line assembly and both the right steering tube assembly and 
the airplane structure, adjusting as necessary. Since we issued that 
AD, we have received a field report of a fuel return line chafing 
incident on a Cessna Model 172 airplane with a serial number (S/N) that 
was not included in the AD. This proposed AD would retain the actions 
of the current AD and add S/Ns to the Applicability section of the AD. 
Chafing of the fuel return line assembly could lead to fire. We are 
proposing this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by December 29, 
2011.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 
11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.

[[Page 70380]]

     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: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    For service information identified in this proposed AD, contact 
Cessna Aircraft Company, Product Support, P.O. Box 7706, Wichita, KS 
67277; telephone: (316) 517-6000; fax: (316) 517-8500; email: 
[email protected]; Internet: http://www.cessna.com. You 
may review copies of the referenced service information at the FAA, 
Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. 
For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 
(816) 329-4148.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket 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 AD docket contains this proposed AD, the regulatory 
evaluation, any comments received, and other information. The street 
address for the Docket Office (phone: (800) 647-5527) is in the 
ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly 
after receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Trenton Shepherd, Aerospace Engineer, 
Wichita Aircraft Certification Office, FAA, 1801 Airport Road, Room 
100, Wichita, Kansas 67209; phone: (316) 946-4143; fax: (316) 946-4107; 
email: [email protected].

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-2011-1245; 
Directorate Identifier 2011-CE-033-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 because 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 about this proposed AD.

Discussion

    On January 22, 2008, we issued AD 2008-03-02, Amendment 39-15351 
(73 FR 5737, January 31, 2008), for certain Cessna Models 172R and 172S 
airplanes. That AD requires you to inspect the fuel return line 
assembly for chafing; replace the fuel return line assembly if chafing 
is found; and inspect the clearance between the fuel return line 
assembly and both the right steering tube assembly and the airplane 
structure, adjusting as necessary. That AD resulted from reports of 
chafed fuel return line assemblies, which were caused by the fuel 
return line assembly rubbing against the right steering tube assembly 
during full rudder pedal actuation. We issued that AD to detect and 
correct chafing of the fuel return line assembly, which could result in 
fuel leaking under the floor and fuel vapors entering the cabin. This 
condition could lead to fire under the floor or in the cabin area.

Actions Since Existing AD Was Issued

    Since we issued AD 2008-03-02 (73 FR 5737, January 31, 2008), we 
received a field report of a fuel return line chafing incident on a 
Cessna Model 172 airplane with an S/N that was not included in the AD.

Relevant Service Information

    We reviewed Cessna Mandatory Service Bulletin SB07-28-01, dated 
June 18, 2007, and Cessna Service Bulletin SB07-28-01, Revision 1, 
dated September 22, 2011. The service information describes the 
following procedures:
     Inspecting the fuel return line assembly;
     Replacing the fuel return line assembly if chafing is 
found; and
     Inspecting the clearance between the fuel return line 
assembly and both the right steering tube assembly and the airplane 
structure, adjusting as necessary.

FAA's Determination

    We are proposing this AD because we evaluated all the relevant 
information and determined the unsafe condition described previously is 
likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design.

Proposed AD Requirements

    This proposed AD would retain all of the requirements of AD 2008-
03-02 (73 FR 5737, January 31, 2008). This proposed AD would add 
airplanes to the applicability statement of the current AD.

Change to Existing AD

    This proposed AD would retain all requirements of AD 2008-03-02 (73 
FR 5737, January 31, 2008). Since AD 2008-03-02 was issued, the AD 
format has been revised, and certain paragraphs have been rearranged. 
As a result, the corresponding paragraph identifiers have changed in 
this proposed AD, as listed in the following table:

                      Revised Paragraph Identifiers
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            Corresponding requirement in
       Requirement in AD 2008-03-02               this proposed AD
------------------------------------------------------------------------
paragraph (e)(1)..........................  paragraph (g)(1) and (g)(2)
paragraph (e)(2)..........................  paragraph (h)
paragraph (e)(3)..........................  paragraph (i)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this proposed AD affects 768 airplanes of U.S. 
registry.
    We estimate the following costs to comply with this proposed AD:

                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                       Cost on
               Action                        Labor cost               Parts cost          Cost per       U.S.
                                                                                          product     operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inspection of the fuel return line    1 work-hour x $85 per    Not applicable.........          $85      $65,280
 assembly for chafing and clearance.   hour = $85.
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     The difference in estimated costs of this proposed AD and AD 2008-
03-02 (73 FR 5737, January 31, 2008) is an increase in the estimated 
labor cost for those airplanes affected by AD 2008-

[[Page 70381]]

03-02 and the costs of the additional airplanes added to the proposed 
AD.
    We estimate the following costs to do any necessary replacements 
that would be required based on the results of the proposed inspection. 
We have no way of determining the number of aircraft that might need 
these replacements:

                           On-Condition Costs
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Cost per
            Action                Labor cost     Parts cost    product
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Replacement of the fuel        0.5 work-hour x         $123      $165.50
 return line assembly and       $85 per hour =
 adjustment of the clearance    $42.50.
 between the fuel return line
 assembly and both the right
 steering tube assembly and
 the airplane structure.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

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),
    (3) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and
    (4) 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.

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 FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by removing airworthiness directive 
(AD) 2008-03-02, Amendment 39-15351 (73 FR 5737, January 31, 2008), and 
adding the following new AD:

Cessna Aircraft Company: Docket No. FAA-2011-1245; Directorate 
Identifier 2011-CE-033-AD.

(a) Comments Due Date

    The FAA must receive comments on this AD action by December 29, 
2011.

(b) Affected ADs

    This AD supersedes AD 2008-03-02 (73 FR 5737, January 31, 2008), 
Amendment 39-15351.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to the following Cessna Aircraft Company 
airplanes, certificated in any category:
    (1) Group 1: Model 172R, serial numbers (S/N) 17281188 through 
17281390;
    (2) Group 2: Model 172S, S/N 172S9491 through 172S10489;
    (3) Group 3: Model 172R, S/N 17281391 through 17281572; and
    (4) Group 4: Model 172S, S/N 172S10490 through 172S11073.

(d) Subject

    Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC)/Air Transport Association 
(ATA) of America Code Fuel, 28.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by a field report of a fuel return line 
chafing incident on a Cessna Model 172 airplane with a serial number 
that was not in the Applicability statement of AD 2008-03-02. 
Chafing of the fuel return line assembly could result in fuel 
leaking and fuel vapors, which could lead to fire. We are issuing 
this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.

(f) Compliance

    Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, 
unless already done.

(g) Inspection Requirement Retained From AD 2008-03-02, Amendment 39-
15351 (73 FR 5737, January 31, 2008)

    (1) For Group 1 and Group 2 Airplanes: within the next 100 hours 
time-in-service (TIS) after March 6, 2008 (the effective date 
retained from AD 2008-03-02) or within the next 12 months after 
March 6, 2008 (the effective date retained from AD 2008-03-02), 
whichever occurs first, inspect the fuel return line assembly 
(Cessna part number (P/N) 0500118-49) for chafing. Do the inspection 
following Cessna Service Bulletin SB07-28-01, dated June 18, 2007.
    (2) For Group 3 and Group 4 Airplanes: within the next 100 hours 
TIS after the effective date of this AD or within the next 12 months 
after the effective date of this AD, whichever occurs first, inspect 
the fuel return line assembly (Cessna P/N 0500118-49) for chafing. 
Do the inspection following Cessna Service Bulletin SB07-28-01, 
Revision 1, dated September 22, 2011.

(h) Replacement Requirement Retained From AD 2008-03-02, Amendment 39-
15351 (73 FR 5737, January 31, 2008)

    For All Airplanes: before further flight after the inspection 
required in paragraph (g)(1) or (g)(2) of this AD where evidence of 
chafing was found, replace the fuel return line assembly (Cessna P/N 
0500118-49). Do the replacement following Cessna Service Bulletin 
SB07-28-01, dated June 18, 2007; or Cessna Service Bulletin SB07-28-
01, Revision 1, dated September 22, 2011.

(i) Inspection and Adjustment Requirement Retained From AD 2008-03-02, 
Amendment 39-15351 (73 FR 5737, January 31, 2008)

    For All Airplanes: before further flight after the inspection 
required in paragraph (g)(1) or (g)(2) of this AD if no chafing is 
found or after the replacement required in paragraph (h) of this AD, 
whichever of the previous situations applies, inspect for a minimum 
clearance of 0.5 inch between the following parts throughout the 
entire range of copilot rudder pedal travel. If less than 0.5 inch 
clearance is found, before further flight, adjust the clearance. 
Follow paragraph 6 of the Instructions section of Cessna Service 
Bulletin SB07-28-01, dated June 18, 2007; or Cessna Service Bulletin 
SB07-28-01, Revision 1, dated September 22, 2011. This AD requires a 
minimum clearance of 0.5

[[Page 70382]]

inch. The requirements of this AD take precedence over the actions 
required in the service information.
    (1) The fuel return line assembly (Cessna P/N 0500118-49) and 
the steering tube assembly (Cessna P/N MC0543022-2C); and
    (2) The fuel return line assembly (Cessna P/N 0500118-49) and 
the airplane structure.

(j) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (1) The Manager, Wichita Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), 
FAA, has the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested 
using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. In accordance with 14 
CFR 39.19, send your request to your principal inspector or local 
Flight Standards District Office, as appropriate. If sending 
information directly to the manager of the ACO, send it to the 
attention of the person identified in the Related Information 
section of this AD.
    (2) Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate 
principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager 
of the local flight standards district office/certificate holding 
district office.

(k) Related Information

    (1) For more information about this AD, Trenton Shepherd, 
Aerospace Engineer, Wichita ACO, FAA, 1801 Airport Road, Room 100, 
Wichita, Kansas 67209; phone: (316) 946-4143; fax: (316) 946-4107; 
email: [email protected].
    (2) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Cessna Aircraft Company, Product Support, P.O. Box 7706, Wichita, KS 
67277; telephone: (316) 517-6000; fax: (316) 517-8500; email: 
[email protected]; Internet: http://www.cessna.com. 
You may review copies of the referenced service information at the 
FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 
64106.
    For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, 
call (816) 329-4148.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 7, 2011.
Earl Lawrence,
Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-29315 Filed 11-10-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P