[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 158 (Monday, August 17, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 49127-49129]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-19901]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2015-3398; Directorate Identifier 2015-CE-031-AD; 
Amendment 39-18232; AD 2015-16-07]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; REIMS AVIATION S.A. Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for REIMS 
AVIATION S.A. Model F406 airplanes. This AD results from mandatory 
continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the aviation 
authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe 
condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe 
condition as detachment of the pilot's rudder control pedal in flight. 
We are issuing this AD to require actions to address the unsafe 
condition on these products.

DATES: This AD is effective August 18, 2015.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of a certain publication listed in the AD as of August 18, 
2015.
    We must receive comments on this AD by October 1, 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 service information identified in this AD, contact ASI 
Aviation, A[eacute]rodrome de Reims Prunay, 51360 Prunay, FRANCE; 
phone: +33 3 26 48 46 65; fax: +33 3 26 49 18 57; email: none; 
Internet: http://asi-aviation.fr/asi-aviation-support/1.html (requires 
user name and password). You may view this referenced service 
information at the FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901

[[Page 49128]]

Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the 
availability of this material at the FAA, call (816) 329-4148. It is 
also available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by 
searching for locating Docket No. FAA-2015-3398.

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-2015-
3398; 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 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: Albert J. Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, 
FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, 
Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4119; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

    The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical 
Agent for the Member States of the European Community, has issued AD 
No.: 2015-0159-E, dated July 31, 2015 (referred to after this as ``the 
MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition for the specified products. The 
MCAI states:

    An occurrence was reported where one pilot rudder control pedal 
of an F 406 aeroplane detached in flight. No change in aeroplane 
attitude occurred. The rudder was controlled using the co-pilot 
rudder pedals, and the flight continued uneventfully until a safe 
landing was performed.
    This condition, if not detected and corrected, could result in 
loss of directional control of the aeroplane.
    To address this unsafe condition, ASI Aviation issued Service 
Bulletin (SB) F406-104 to provide inspection instructions.
    For the reason described above, this AD requires inspection of 
the rudder control pedal torque tubes, both left-hand (LH) and 
right-hand (RH), and, depending on findings, replacement with a 
serviceable part.
    This AD also requires inspection before new installation of 
rudder control pedal torque tubes.

    You may examine the MCAI on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2015-
3398.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    ASI AVIATION has issued Service Bulletin No.: F406-104, dated July 
28, 2015. The actions described in this service information are 
intended to correct the unsafe condition identified in the MCAI. The 
service information describes procedures for inspection of the left-
hand and right-hand rudder control pedal torque tubes, and, depending 
on findings, replacement with a serviceable part. This service 
information is reasonably available because the interested parties have 
access to it through their normal course of business or by the means 
identified in the ADDRESSES section of this AD.

FAA's Determination and Requirements of the 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 issuing this AD because we 
evaluated all information provided by the State of Design Authority and 
determined the unsafe condition exists and is likely to exist or 
develop on other products of the same type design.

FAA's Determination of the Effective Date

    An unsafe condition exists that requires the immediate adoption of 
this AD. The FAA has found that the risk to the flying public justifies 
waiving notice and comment prior to adoption of this rule because 
detachment of the pilot rudder control pedal in flight could result in 
loss of airplane directional control. Therefore, we determined that 
notice and opportunity for public comment before issuing this AD are 
impracticable and that good cause exists for making this amendment 
effective in fewer than 30 days.

Comments Invited

    This AD is a final rule that involves requirements affecting flight 
safety, and we did not precede it by notice and opportunity for public 
comment. We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or 
arguments about this AD. Send your comments to an address listed under 
the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2015-3398; Directorate 
Identifier 2015-CE-031-AD'' at the beginning of your comments. We 
specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory, economic, 
environmental, and energy aspects of this AD. We will consider all 
comments received by the closing date and may amend this 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 AD.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this AD will affect 7 products of U.S. registry. 
We also estimate that it will take about 5 work-hours per product to 
comply with the basic requirements of this AD. The average labor rate 
is $85 per work-hour.
    Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of the AD on U.S. 
operators to be $2,975, or $425 per product.
    In addition, we estimate that any necessary follow-on actions would 
take about 20 work-hours and require parts costing $10,000, for a cost 
of $11,700 per product. We have no way of determining the number of 
products that may need these actions.

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 AD will not have federalism implications 
under Executive Order 13132. This AD will 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 this AD:
    (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive 
Order 12866,

[[Page 49129]]

    (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.

Adoption of the Amendment

    Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the FAA amends 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:

2015-16-07 REIMS AVIATION S.A.: Amendment 39-18232; Docket No. FAA-
2015-3398; Directorate Identifier 2015-CE-031-AD.

(a) Effective Date

    This airworthiness directive (AD) becomes effective August 18, 
2015.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Reims Aviation S.A. Model F406 airplanes, 
serial numbers 0001 through 0098, certificated in any category.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association of America (ATA) Code 27: Flight 
Controls.

(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 detachment of 
the pilot's rudder control pedal in flight. We are issuing this AD 
to detect and correct cracking of the pilot rudder control pedal 
which, if not corrected, could result in detachment of the pedal 
with possible loss of airplane directional control.

(f) Actions and Compliance

    Unless already done, do the actions in paragraphs (f)(1) through 
(f)(4) of this AD.
    (1) Before further flight after August 18, 2015 (the effective 
date of this AD), do a visual inspection and a dye or fluorescent 
penetrant inspection of the rudder control pedal torque tubes, LH 
(Part Number (P/N) 5115260-1) and RH (P/N 5115260-2), following the 
instructions of PART A of ASI AVIATION Service Bulletin No.: F406-
104, dated July 28, 2015.
    (2) If no crack is detected during the inspection required by 
paragraph (f)(1) of this AD, within 100 hours time-in-service (TIS) 
after August 18, 2015 (the effective date of this AD), do a magnetic 
particle inspection of the rudder control pedal torque tubes, LH (P/
N 5115260-1) and RH (P/N 5115260-2), following the instructions of 
PART B of ASI AVIATION Service Bulletin No.: F406-104, dated July 
28, 2015.
    (3) If any crack is detected on a rudder control pedal torque 
tube during the inspection required by paragraph (f)(1) or (f)(2) of 
this AD, before further flight, replace the affected part with a 
serviceable part following the instructions of ASI AVIATION Service 
Bulletin No.: F406-104, dated July 28, 2015.
    (4) For the purpose of this AD, a serviceable part is a rudder 
control pedal torque tube that has had a magnetic particle 
inspection following the instructions of PART B of ASI AVIATION 
Service Bulletin No.: F406-104, dated July 28, 2015, and no cracks 
were found.
    (5) You may install a rudder control pedal torque tube P/N 
5115260-1 (LH) or P/N 5115260-2 (RH) on an airplane, provided it is 
a serviceable part.

(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: Albert J. Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, 
Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, 
Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4119; 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

    Refer to MCAI European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD No.: 
2015-0159-E, dated July 31, 2015, for related information. You may 
examine the MCAI on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by 
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2015-3398.

(i) Material Incorporated by Reference

    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference (IBR) of the service information listed 
in this paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) You must use this service information as applicable to do 
the actions required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
    (i) ASI AVIATION Service Bulletin No.: F406-104, dated July 28, 
2015.
    (ii) Reserved.
    (3) For service information identified in this AD, contact ASI 
Aviation, A[eacute]rodrome de Reims Prunay, 51360 Prunay, FRANCE; 
phone: +33 3 26 48 46 65; fax: +33 3 26 49 18 57; email: none; 
Internet: http://asi-aviation.fr/asi-aviation-support/1.html 
(requires user name and password).
    (4) You may view this 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. It is also available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for locating Docket No. FAA-2015-
3398.
    (5) You may view this service information that is incorporated 
by reference at the National Archives and Records Administration 
(NARA). For information on the availability of this material at 
NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri on August 6, 2015.
Earl Lawrence,
Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-19901 Filed 8-14-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P