[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 8, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 20745-20748]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09729]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2018-0397; Product Identifier 2017-NM-163-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Bombardier, Inc., Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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[[Page 20746]]

SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for 
certain Bombardier, Inc., Model BD-700-1A10 and BD-700-1A11 airplanes. 
This proposed AD was prompted by a report of cracking at the fastener 
holes of the left-hand-side support bracket of the elevator bell crank 
for the control linkage in the vertical stabilizer. This proposed AD 
would require an eddy current inspection on certain support brackets of 
the elevator bell crank for any cracking at the fastener holes, a 
measurement to confirm that the fastener hole diameters are within 
tolerance, and replacement with a new support bracket of the elevator 
bell crank if necessary. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe 
condition on these products.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by June 22, 2018.

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 
Bombardier, Inc., 400 C[ocirc]te-Vertu Road West, Dorval, Qu[eacute]bec 
H4S 1Y9, Canada; telephone 514-855-5000; fax 514-855-7401; email 
[email protected]; internet http://www.bombardier.com. You 
may view this service information at the FAA, Transport Standards 
Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA. For information on the 
availability of this material at the FAA, call 206-231-3195.

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-2018-
0397; 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 NPRM, the regulatory evaluation, any comments received, 
and other information. The street address for the Docket Operations 
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: Neil Doh, Aerospace Engineer, Aviation 
Safety Section, FAA, Boston ACO Branch, 1200 District Avenue, 
Burlington, MA 01803; telephone: 781-238-7757; 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 proposed AD. Send your comments to an address 
listed under the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2018-0397; 
Product Identifier 2017-NM-163-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 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 we 
receive about this NPRM.

Discussion

    Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), which is the aviation 
authority for Canada, has issued Canadian AD CF-2017-32, dated October 
10, 2017 (referred to after this as the Mandatory Continuing 
Airworthiness Information, or ``the MCAI''), to correct an unsafe 
condition for certain Bombardier, Inc., Model BD-700-1A10 and BD-700-
1A11 airplanes. The MCAI states:

    During a repair on an aircraft in-service, cracking was observed 
at the fastener holes of the left hand side elevator bell crank 
support bracket for the control linkage in the vertical stabilizer. 
Further investigation confirmed the presence of similar cracking on 
other aircraft on both the left and right hand side brackets. An 
investigation found that the fastener holes on some brackets did not 
conform to the required tolerance and fastener installation resulted 
in fastener hole cracks.
    This [Canadian] AD requires an inspection of both elevator bell 
crank support brackets, and replacement if they are found cracked or 
do not meet the required fastener hole tolerance. Left unrepaired, 
cracking of an elevator bell crank support bracket could lead to 
detachment of the bracket and loss of functionality of the elevator 
on the affected side, resulting in reduced controllability of the 
aircraft. Failure of both brackets could result in loss of pitch 
control of the aircraft.

    You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2018-
0397.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    Bombardier, Inc., has issued Service Bulletin 700-27-5009, Revision 
01, dated July 18, 2017; and Service Bulletin 700-27-6009, Revision 01, 
dated July 18, 2017. This service information describes an eddy current 
inspection on certain support brackets of the elevator bell crank for 
any cracking at the fastener holes, a measurement to confirm that the 
fastener hole diameters are within tolerance, and replacement with a 
new support bracket of the elevator bell crank. These documents are 
distinct since they apply to different airplane models. 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 and Requirements of This 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 the State of Design Authority, we have 
been notified of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI and service 
information referenced above. We are proposing this AD because we 
evaluated all pertinent information and determined an 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 affects 109 airplanes of U.S. 
registry.
    We estimate the following costs to comply with this proposed AD:

[[Page 20747]]



                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Cost per      Cost on U.S.
                Action                         Labor cost           Parts cost        product        operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inspection and measurement............  10 work-hours x $85 per              $19            $869         $94,721
                                         hour = $850.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We estimate the following costs to do any necessary replacement 
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 
this replacement:

                                               On-Condition Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                     Cost per
                    Action                                 Labor cost               Parts cost        product
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Replacement...................................  2 work-hours x $85 per hour =             $4,798          $4,968
                                                 $170.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    According to the manufacturer, all of the costs of this proposed AD 
may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on 
affected individuals. We do not control warranty coverage for affected 
individuals. As a result, we have included all costs in our cost 
estimate.

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.
    This proposed AD is issued in accordance with authority delegated 
by the Executive Director, Aircraft Certification Service, as 
authorized by FAA Order 8000.51C. In accordance with that order, 
issuance of ADs is normally a function of the Compliance and 
Airworthiness Division, but during this transition period, the 
Executive Director has delegated the authority to issue ADs applicable 
to transport category airplanes to the Director of the System Oversight 
Division.

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):

Bombardier, Inc.: Docket No. FAA-2018-0397; Product Identifier 2017-
NM-163-AD.

(a) Comments Due Date

    We must receive comments by June 22, 2018.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Bombardier, Inc., Model BD-700-1A10 and BD-
700-1A11 airplanes, certificated in any category, serial numbers 
9492 through 9711 inclusive, 9713 through 9717 inclusive, 9719 
through 9726 inclusive, 9728, 9730, 9732, 9733, 9743, and 9751.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 27, Flight 
controls.

(e) Reason

    This AD was prompted by a report of cracking at the fastener 
holes of the left-hand-side support bracket of the elevator bell 
crank for the control linkage in the vertical stabilizer. We are 
issuing this AD to detect and correct any cracking in the support 
bracket of the elevator bell crank, which could lead to detachment 
of the bracket and loss of functionality of the elevator on the 
affected side, and result in reduced controllability of the 
airplane. Failure of both brackets could result in loss of pitch 
control of the airplane.

(f) Compliance

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

(g) Inspection, Measurement, and Corrective Action

    Within 60 months after the effective date of this AD, or before 
accumulating 7,500 total flight cycles, whichever occurs first: Do 
an eddy current inspection of the support brackets of the elevator 
bell crank, part number (P/N) GD248-8750-3 and P/N GD248-8750-4, for 
any cracking at the fastener holes, and do a measurement to confirm 
that the fastener hole diameters are within tolerance, as 
applicable, in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions of 
Bombardier Service Bulletin 700-27-5009, Revision 01, dated July 18, 
2017 (for Model BD-700-1A11 airplanes), or

[[Page 20748]]

Bombardier Service Bulletin 700-27-6009, Revision 01, dated July 18, 
2017 (for Model BD-700-1A10 airplanes). If any cracking is found or 
if any fastener hole is out of tolerance, before further flight, 
replace with a new support bracket, in accordance with the 
Accomplishment Instructions of Bombardier Service Bulletin 700-27-
5009, Revision 01, dated July 18, 2017 (for Model BD-700-1A11 
airplanes), or Bombardier Service Bulletin 700-27-6009, Revision 01, 
dated July 18, 2017 (for Model BD-700-1A10 airplanes).

(h) Credit for Previous Actions

    This paragraph provides credit for actions required by paragraph 
(g) of this AD, if those actions were performed before the effective 
date of this AD using Bombardier Service Bulletin 700-27-5009, dated 
May 29, 2017, or Bombardier Service Bulletin 700-27-6009, dated May 
29, 2017, as applicable.

(i) Other FAA AD Provisions

    The following provisions also apply to this AD:
    (1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, New 
York ACO Branch, 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 certification 
office, send it to ATTN: Program Manager, Continuing Operational 
Safety, FAA, New York ACO Branch, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, 
Westbury, NY 11590; telephone 516-228-7300; fax 516-794-5531. 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.
    (2) Contacting the Manufacturer: For any requirement in this AD 
to obtain corrective actions from a manufacturer, the action must be 
accomplished using a method approved by the Manager, New York ACO 
Branch, FAA; or Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA); or 
Bombardier, Inc.'s TCCA Design Approval Organization (DAO). If 
approved by the DAO, the approval must include the DAO-authorized 
signature.

(j) Related Information

    (1) Refer to Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information 
(MCAI) Canadian AD CF-2017-32, dated October 10, 2017, for related 
information. This MCAI may be found in the AD docket on the internet 
at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket 
No. FAA-2018-0397.
    (2) For more information about this AD, contact Neil Doh, 
Aerospace Engineer, Aviation Safety Section, FAA, Boston ACO Branch, 
1200 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803; telephone: 781-238-7757; 
fax: 781-238-7199; email: [email protected].
    (3) For information about AMOCs, contact Aziz Ahmed, Aerospace 
Engineer, FAA, New York ACO Branch, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, 
Westbury, New York 11590; telephone: 516-287-7329; fax: 516-794-
5531; email: [email protected].
    (4) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Bombardier, Inc., 400 C[ocirc]te-Vertu Road West, Dorval, 
Qu[eacute]bec H4S 1Y9, Canada; telephone 514-855-5000; fax 514-855-
7401; email [email protected]; internet http://www.bombardier.com. You may view this service information at the 
FAA, Transport Standards Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, 
WA. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, 
call 206-231-3195.

    Issued in Des Moines, Washington, on April 30, 2018.
Dionne Palermo,
Acting Director, System Oversight Division, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-09729 Filed 5-7-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P