[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 235 (Monday, December 8, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 72562-72564]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28700]


 ========================================================================
 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. 79, No. 235 / Monday, December 8, 2014 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 72562]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2014-1001; Directorate Identifier 2014-CE-034-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Short Brothers & Harland Ltd. Airplanes

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

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for 
Short Brothers & Harland Ltd. Model SC-7 Series 3 airplanes. This 
proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information 
(MCAI) originated 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 fatigue cracking, which could 
lead to structural failure of the nose landing gear (NLG). We are 
issuing this proposed AD to require actions to address the unsafe 
condition on these products.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by January 22, 2015

ADDRESSES: You may send comments 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.
     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 Short Brothers & Harland Ltd. service information identified in 
this proposed AD, contact Airworthiness, Short Brothers PLC, P.O. Box 
241, Airport Road, Belfast, BT3 9DZ Northern Ireland, United Kingdom; 
phone: +44-2890-462469, fax: 44-2890-733647, email: 
[email protected], internet: None; and for SAFRAN 
Messier-Buggatti-Dowty service information contact Messier-Dowty 
Limited, Cheltenham Road, Gloucester GL2 9QH, ENGLAND; phone: 
+44(0)1452 712424; fax: +44(0)1452 713821; email: 
[email protected], Internet: http://www.safranmbd.com. You may 
review this 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 by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2014-
1001; 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 (telephone (800) 647-5527) is in the ADDRESSES section. Comments 
will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doug Rudolph, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, 
Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 
64106; telephone: (816) 329-4059; fax: (816) 329-4090; 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-2014-1001; 
Directorate Identifier 2014-CE-034-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://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

    The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical 
Agent for the Member States of the European Community, has issued AD 
No.: 2014-0246, dated November 12, 2014 (referred to after this as 
``the MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition for the specified 
products. The MCAI states:

A fracture of the nose landing gear (NLG) sliding tube was reported. 
The subsequent investigation determined fatigue cracking as possible 
cause of the failure.
This condition, if not detected and corrected, could lead to 
structural failure of the NLG, possibly resulting in loss of control 
of the aeroplane during take-off or landing.
To address this unsafe condition, the Messier-Dowty Ltd, the NLG 
manufacturer, issued Service Bulletin (SB) 32-17M to provide 
inspection instructions. Consequently Short Brothers PLC issued SB 
32-74 which references Messier-Dowty Ltd SB 32-17M.
For the reasons described above, this AD requires one-time visual 
and fluorescent penetrant inspections and, depending on findings, 
accomplishment of applicable corrective action(s).

The MCAI requires you report the findings to Short Brothers PLC to 
obtain approved repair instructions and accomplish the repair 
accordingly. You may examine the MCAI on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2014-
1001.

Relevant Service Information

    Short Brothers & Harland Ltd. has issued Shorts Service Bulletin 
Number 32-74, dated November 1, 2014; and SAFRAN Messier-Buggatti-Dowty 
has issued Service Bulletin No. 32-17M, dated November 1, 2014. The 
actions described in this service information are intended to correct 
the unsafe condition identified in the MCAI.

[[Page 72563]]

FAA's Determination and Requirements of the Proposed AD

    This product has been approved by the aviation authority of another 
country, and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant 
to our bilateral agreement with this State of Design Authority, 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 and determined the unsafe condition exists 
and is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same type 
design.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this proposed AD will affect 24 products of U.S. 
registry. We also estimate that it would take about 5 work-hours per 
product to comply with the basic requirements of this proposed AD. The 
average labor rate is $85 per work-hour.
    Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of the proposed AD on 
U.S. operators to be $10,200, or $425 per product.
    In addition, we estimate that any necessary follow-on actions would 
take about 16 work-hours and require parts costing $25,000, for a cost 
of $26,360 per product. We have no way of determining the number of 
products that may need these actions.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    A federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not 
required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to penalty for 
failure to comply with a collection of information subject to the 
requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection of 
information displays a current valid OMB control number. The control 
number for the collection of information required by this AD is 2120-
0056. The paperwork cost associated with this AD has been detailed in 
the Costs of Compliance section of this document and includes time for 
reviewing instructions, as well as completing and reviewing the 
collection of information. Therefore, all reporting associated with 
this AD is mandatory. Comments concerning the accuracy of this burden 
and suggestions for reducing the burden should be directed to the FAA 
at 800 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20591. ATTN: Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, AES-200.

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 proposed 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),
    (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, 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

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:

Short Brothers & Harland Ltd.: Docket No. FAA-2014-1001; Directorate 
Identifier 2014-CE-034-AD.

(a) Comments Due Date

    We must receive comments by January 22, 2015.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Short Brothers & Harland Ltd. Model SC-7 
Series 3 airplanes, all serial numbers, certificated in any 
category.

(d) Subject

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

(e) Reason

    This AD was prompted by mandatory continuing airworthiness 
information (MCAI) originated 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 fatigue cracking 
which could lead to structural failure of the nose landing gear 
(NLG). We are issuing this proposed AD to detect and correct fatigue 
cracking which, if not detected and corrected, could lead to 
structural failure of the NLG, possibly resulting in loss of control 
of the airplane during take-off or landing.

(f) Actions and Compliance

    Unless already done, comply with this AD within the compliance 
times specified in paragraphs (f)(1) through (f)(5) of this AD, 
unless already done.
    (1) Within 30 days after the effective date of this AD, 
accomplish a visual inspection of the NLG sliding tube following the 
instructions of paragraph 3.A of SAFRAN Messier-Buggatti-Dowty 
Service Bulletin No. 32-17M, dated November 1, 2014.

    Note 1 to paragraphs (f)(1), (f)(2), (f)(4), and (f)(5) of this 
AD: Instructions provided by SAFRAN Messier-Buggatti-Dowty Service 
Bulletin No. 32-17M, dated November 1, 2014, are referenced in 
Shorts Service Bulletin Number 32-74, dated November 1, 2014.

    (2) Within 90 days after the effective date of this AD, do a 
fluorescent penetrant inspection of the sliding tube following the 
instructions of paragraph 3.B of SAFRAN Messier-Buggatti-Dowty 
Service Bulletin No. 32-17M, dated November 1, 2014.
    (3) If any crack is detected during the inspection required by 
paragraph (f)(1) or (f)(2) of this AD, before further flight, obtain 
FAA-approved repair instructions approved specifically for 
compliance with this AD by reporting the findings to Short Brothers 
& Harland Ltd. and incorporating those instructions. You can find 
contact information for Short Brothers & Harland Ltd. in paragraph 
(h) of this AD.
    (4) Within 30 days after any inspection required by paragraphs 
(f)(1) and (f)(2) of this AD or within 30 days after the effective 
date of this AD, whichever occurs later, report the inspection 
results to Short Brothers &

[[Page 72564]]

Harland Ltd. by completing the Inspection Results Proforma following 
the instructions of paragraph 3.C.(2) of SAFRAN Messier-Buggatti-
Dowty Service Bulletin No. 32-17M, dated November 1, 2014. You can 
find contact information for Short Brothers & Harland Ltd. in 
paragraph (h) of this AD.
    (5) From the effective date of this AD, you may install a 
sliding tube on an NLG provided that, before next flight after 
installation, the NLG sliding tube passes the inspections in 
paragraphs (f)(1) and (f)(2) of this AD following the instructions 
of paragraph 3 of SAFRAN Messier-Buggatti-Dowty Service Bulletin No. 
32-17M, dated November 1, 2014.

(g) Other FAA AD Provisions

    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: Doug Rudolph, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small 
Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 
64106; telephone: (816) 329-4059; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: 
[email protected]. 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, a federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person 
is not required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a 
penalty for failure to comply with a collection of information 
subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless 
that collection of information displays a current valid OMB Control 
Number. The OMB Control Number for this information collection is 
2120-0056. Public reporting for this collection of information is 
estimated to be approximately 5 minutes per response, including the 
time for reviewing instructions, completing and reviewing the 
collection of information. All responses to this collection of 
information are mandatory. Comments concerning the accuracy of this 
burden and suggestions for reducing the burden should be directed to 
the FAA at: 800 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20591, Attn: 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, AES-200.

(h) Related Information

    MCAI European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD No.: 2014-0246, 
dated November 12, 2014; and Shorts Service Bulletin Number 32-74, 
dated November 1, 2014, for related information. You may examine the 
MCAI on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for 
and locating Docket No. FAA-2014-1001. For Short Brothers & Harland 
Ltd. service information identified in this proposed AD, contact 
Airworthiness, Short Brothers PLC, P.O. Box 241, Airport Road, 
Belfast, BT3 9DZ Northern Ireland, United Kingdom; phone: +44-2890-
462469, fax: +44-2890-733647, email: 
[email protected], Internet: None; and for 
Messier-Buggatti-Dowty service information contact Messier-Dowty 
Limited, Cheltenham Road, Gloucester GL2 9QH, ENGLAND; phone: 
+44(0)1452 712424; fax: +44(0)1452 713821; email: 
[email protected], Internet: http://www.safranmbd.com. You 
may review this 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 December 2, 2014.
Robert Busto,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-28700 Filed 12-5-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P