[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 3 (Thursday, January 5, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 1265-1267]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-31870]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2016-9405; Directorate Identifier 2016-NE-22-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Pratt & Whitney Division Turbofan 
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 
certain Pratt & Whitney Division (PW) PW2037, PW2037M, and PW2040 
turbofan engines. This proposed AD was prompted by an unrecoverable 
engine in-flight shutdown (IFSD) after an ice crystal icing event. This 
proposed AD would require installing a software standard eligible for 
installation and preclude the use of electronic engine control (EEC) 
software standards earlier than SCN 5B/I. We are proposing this AD to 
correct the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by February 21, 
2017.

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.
     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 NPRM, contact Pratt & 
Whitney Division, 400 Main St., East Hartford, CT 06118; phone: 800-
565-0140; fax: 860-565-5442. You may view this service information at 
the FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 1200 District Avenue, 
Burlington, MA. For information on the availability of this material at 
the FAA, call 781-238-7125.

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-2016-
9405; 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: Kevin Clark, Aerospace Engineer, 
Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 1200 
District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803; phone: 781-238-7088; fax: 781-
238-7199; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited

    We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or 
arguments about this NPRM. Send your comments to an address listed 
under the section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2016-9405; Directorate 
Identifier 2016-NE-22-AD'' at the beginning of your comments. We 
specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory, economic, 
environmental, and energy aspects of this NPRM. We will consider all 
comments received by the closing date and may amend this NPRM 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 NPRM.

Discussion

    We propose to adopt an AD for certain PW PW2037, PW2037M, and 
PW2040 turbofan engines with EEC, model number EEC104-40 or EEC104-60, 
installed with an EEC software standard earlier than SCN 5B/I. This 
proposed AD was prompted by a report of an unrecoverable engine IFSD 
after an ice crystal icing event. The root cause of the event is ice 
crystal icing causing the engine to flameout. An attempt to restart the 
engine was made while the active clearance control was on, which caused 
damage to the HPT and rotor seizure. This condition, if not corrected, 
could result in failure of the HPT, rotor seizure, failure of one or 
more engines, loss of thrust control, and loss of the airplane.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    We reviewed PW Alert Service Bulletin (ASB) PW2000 A73-170, dated 
July 14, 2016. The ASB describes

[[Page 1266]]

procedures for modifying or replacing the EEC. 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.

FAA's Determination

    We are proposing this NPRM 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 require modifying or replacing the EEC.

Differences Between This Proposed AD and the Service Information

    PW ASB PW2000 A73-170, dated July 14, 2016, specifies compliance 
for any engine flown, or expected to be flown, in the Asian Pacific 
latitudes and longitudes, while this proposed AD specifically lists the 
serial numbers (S/Ns) of certain affected engines. Also, PW ASB PW2000 
A73-170, dated July 14, 2016, provides until 2026 to comply, while this 
proposed AD provides until July 2024 to comply.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this NPRM affects 713 engines, installed on 
airplanes of U.S. registry.
    We estimate the following costs to comply with this proposed AD:

                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Cost per      Cost on U.S.
               Action                         Labor cost            Parts cost        product        operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EEC software installation..........  1.8 work-hours x $85 per               0.00         $153.00     $109,089.00
                                      hour = $153.00.
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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),
    (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 airworthiness 
directive (AD):

Pratt & Whitney Division: Docket No. FAA-2016-9405; Directorate 
Identifier 2016-NE-22-AD.

(a) Comments Due Date

    We must receive comments by February 21, 2017.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to all Pratt & Whitney Division (PW) PW2037, 
PW2037M, and PW2040 turbofan engines with electronic engine control 
(EEC), model number EEC104-40 or EEC104-60, installed, with an EEC 
software standard earlier than SCN 5B/I.

(d) Subject

    Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC) of America Code 7321, 
Fuel Control Turbine Engines.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by unrecoverable engine in-flight shutdown 
(IFSD) after an ice crystal icing event. We are issuing this AD to 
prevent failure of the high-pressure turbine (HPT), rotor seizure, 
failure of one or more engines, loss of thrust control, and loss of 
the airplane.

(f) Compliance

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

(g) Required Action

    Remove EEC software standards earlier than SCN 5B/I and install 
EEC software eligible for installation as follows:
    (1) For engines with serial numbers listed in Figure 1, remove 
the software at next shop visit, or prior to December 2018, 
whichever occurs first.
    (2) For engines with serial numbers not listed in Figure 1, 
remove the software at next shop visit, or prior to July 2024, 
whichever occurs first.

                 Figure 1 to Paragraph (g)--Engine S/Ns
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
716402..................................          727272          728741
727103..................................          727280          728743
727134..................................          727281          728748
727152..................................          727282          728779
727158..................................          727286          728785
727189..................................          727287          728795
727202..................................          727288          728806
727204..................................          728709          728811
727231..................................          728715          728812
727239..................................          728716          728820
727240..................................          728719          728824
727251..................................          728720          728826
727252..................................          728725          728827
727253..................................          728726          728840
727257..................................          728729          728864
727269..................................          728730          728870
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[[Page 1267]]

(h) Installation Prohibition

    After the effective date of this AD, do not install any software 
standard earlier than SCN 5B/I into any EEC.

(i) Definition

    For the purpose of this AD, an ``engine shop visit'' is the 
induction of an engine into the shop for maintenance involving the 
separation of any major mating flange, except that the separation of 
engine flanges solely for the purposes of transportation without 
subsequent maintenance does not constitute an engine shop visit.

(j) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (1) The Manager, Engine Certification Office, FAA, may approve 
AMOCs for this AD. Use the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19 to make 
your request. You may email your request to: [email protected].
    (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, contact Kevin Clark, 
Aerospace Engineer, Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine & 
Propeller Directorate, 1200 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803; 
phone: 781-238-7088; fax: 781-238-7199; email: 
[email protected].
    (2) PW Alert Service Bulletin PW2000 A73-170, dated July 14, 
2016, can be obtained from PW using the contact information in 
paragraph (k)(3) of this AD.
    (3) For service information identified in this AD, contact Pratt 
& Whitney Division, 400 Main St., East Hartford, CT 06118; phone: 
800-565-0140; fax: 860-565-5442.
    (4) You may view this referenced service information at the FAA, 
Engine & Propeller Directorate, 1200 District Avenue, Burlington, 
MA. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, 
call 781-238-7125.

    Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on December 28, 2016.
Colleen M. D'Alessandro,
Manager, Engine & Propeller Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-31870 Filed 1-4-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P