[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 94 (Thursday, May 14, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 28893-28895]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-10015]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0473; Product Identifier 2018-CE-058-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze Sp. z o.o. 
Airplanes

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

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) 
for certain Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze Sp. z o.o. Model PZL M28 05 
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 defective 
thermo-shrinkable tubes installed on the electrical harnesses located 
in the fuel tanks. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe 
condition on these products.

DATES: The FAA must receive comments on this proposed AD by June 29, 
2020.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://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 proposed AD, contact 
Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze Sp. z o.o., Wojska Polskiego 3, 39-300 Mielec, 
Poland, +48 17 743 1901, email: [email protected], internet: 
www.pzlmielec.pl. You may review this referenced service information at 
the FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 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 https://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2020-
0473; or in person at Docket Operations 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 Docket Operations is listed 
above. Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly after 
receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doug Rudolph, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, 
Small Airplane Standards Branch, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, 
Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4059; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites 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-2020-0473; 
Product Identifier 2018-CE-058-AD'' at the beginning of your comments. 
The FAA specifically invites comments on the overall regulatory, 
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this proposed AD. The 
FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date and may 
amend this proposed AD because of those comments.
    The FAA will post all comments we receive, without change, to 
https://regulations.gov, including any personal information you 
provide. The FAA will also post a report summarizing each substantive 
verbal contact received 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. 2018-0242, dated October 8, 2018 (referred to after this as ``the 
MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition for the specified products. The 
MCAI states:

    During accomplishment of maintenance on an M28 05 military 
version airplane, torn pieces of thermo-shrinkable tubes were found 
in the header section of the main fuel tank. These tubes are 
installed on electrical harnesses located in the fuel tanks and 
serve as marking and protection devices against mechanical damage 
during manufacturing and servicing. Pieces of these tubes may travel 
with the fuel flow and may block the jet pump or reduce its 
performance, particularly in the centre-wing fuel tank, in which the 
jet pump is the only way of further transfer of fuel to the engine. 
Subsequent investigation determined that degradation of the tube 
material was caused by a manufacturing deficiency, leading to 
insufficient material resistance against mechanical damage when a 
tube is located in a fuel.
    This condition, if not detected and corrected, could lead to 
reduced fuel supply to the engines, inability to use all the fuel in 
fuel tanks and reduced available engine power, resulting in reduced 
aeroplane performance.
    To address this potentially unsafe condition, PZL identified the 
batch of aeroplanes that are potentially equipped with thermo-
shrinkable tubes having this manufacturing defect, and issued the 
[service bulletin] SB providing inspection and replacement 
instructions.
    For the reasons described above, this [EASA] AD requires a one-
time inspection of the electrical harnesses located in the fuel 
tanks and, depending on findings, replacement of the affected 
harness.

    Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze Sp. z o.o. informed us the potential for 
damage to the thermo-shrinkable tubes does not progress with time. 
Therefore, we determined repetitive inspections are not required. You 
may examine the MCAI on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by 
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2020-0473.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze Sp. z o.o. has issued Service Bulletin No. 
E/12.141/2018, dated May 15, 2018. The service information contains 
procedures for inspecting the thermo-shrinkable tubes on the electrical 
harnesses in the center and outer wing fuel tanks for damage and 
replacing any electrical harness with damaged thermo-shrinkable tubes. 
This service information is reasonably available

[[Page 28894]]

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 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 the FAA's bilateral agreement with this State of Design Authority, 
it has notified the FAA of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI 
and service information referenced above. The FAA is proposing this AD 
because it 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

    The FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 15 products of 
U.S. registry. The FAA also estimates that it would take about 3 work-
hours per product to comply with the basic inspection requirement of 
this proposed AD. The average labor rate is $85 per work-hour.
    Based on these figures, the FAA estimates the cost of the proposed 
AD on U.S. operators to be $3,825, or $255 per product.
    In addition, the FAA estimates that any necessary follow-on 
replacement action would take about 60 work-hours and require parts 
costing $5,000, for a cost of $10,100 per electrical harness. The FAA 
has 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.
    The FAA is 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

    The FAA 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) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and
    (3) 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):

Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze Sp. z o.o.: Docket No. FAA-2020-0473; 
Product Identifier 2018-CE-058-AD.

(a) Comments Due Date

    The FAA must receive comments by June 29, 2020.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze Sp. z o.o. Model PZL 
M28 05 airplanes, serial numbers AJE00301 through AJE00343, and 
AJE00345 through AJE00347, certificated in any category.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association of America (ATA) Code 28: Fuel Tank.

(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 defective 
thermo-shrinkable tubes installed on the electrical harnesses 
located in the fuel tanks. The FAA is issuing this AD to prevent 
broken pieces of the thermo-shrinkable tubes from blocking the jet 
pump, reducing fuel supply to the engines, and resulting in the 
inability to use all the fuel in the fuel tanks. This condition 
could lead to reduced engine power and airplane performance.

(f) Actions and Compliance

    Unless already done, do the following actions in paragraphs 
(f)(1) and (2) of this AD:
    (1) Within the next 200 hours time-in-service (TIS) after the 
effective date of this AD or within the next 8 months after the 
effective date of this AD, whichever occurs first:
    (i) Inspect each electrical wire harness in the center wing and 
the left-hand and right-hand outer wing fuel tanks for cracking, 
tears, and seizing of the thermo-shrinkable tubes in accordance with 
paragraphs II.1 through 2 a) of the Procedure for Bulletin Execution 
section in Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze Sp. z o.o. Service Bulletin No. 
E/12.141/2018, dated May 15, 2018.
    (ii) If there is a tear or any cracking in or any seizing of an 
electrical wire harness thermo-shrinkable tube, before further 
flight, replace the harness in accordance with section II. a) 
Replacement of harness KL8 (KP), II. b) Replacement of Harness KL9 
(KP9), or II. c) Replacement of harness KL10 (KP10), as applicable, 
of the Procedure for Bulletin Execution in Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze 
Sp. z o.o. Service Bulletin No. E/12.141/2018, dated May 15, 2018.
    (2) As of the effective date of this AD, do not install any 
electrical wire harness part number 28.14.7205.073.000, 
28.14.7205.074.000, 28.14.7205.075.000, 28.14.7205.076.000, 
28.14.7205.077.000, or 28.14.7205.078.000, that has more than zero 
hours TIS on any airplane, unless it has passed the inspection 
required by paragraph (f)(1)(i) of this AD.

(g) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    The Manager, Small Airplane Standards Branch, 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 Standards Branch, 
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.

(h) Related Information

    Refer to MCAI European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD No. 
2018-0242, dated October 8, 2018, for related information. You may 
examine the MCAI on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by 
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2020-0473.

[[Page 28895]]

For service information related to this AD, contact Polskie Zaklady 
Lotnicze Sp. z o.o., Wojska Polskiego 3, 39-300 Mielec, Poland, +48 
17 743 1901, email: [email protected], internet: www.pzlmielec.pl. You 
may review this referenced service information at the FAA, 
Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 901 
Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the 
availability of this material at the FAA, call (816) 329-4148.

    Issued on May 6, 2020.
Gaetano A. Sciortino,
Deputy Director for Strategic Initiatives, Compliance & Airworthiness 
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-10015 Filed 5-13-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P