[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 152 (Thursday, August 6, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 47712-47714]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-17044]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0746; Product Identifier 2019-CE-012-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. 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 Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Model PC-12/47E 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 seizing of a main landing gear (MLG) spring 
pack assembly. 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 September 
21, 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 
Pilatus Aircraft Ltd., Customer Technical Support (MCC), P.O. Box 992, 
CH-6371 Stans, Switzerland; telephone: +41 (0)41 619 67 74; fax: +41 
(0)41 619 67 73; email: aircraft.com">Techsupport@pilatus-aircraft.com; internet: 
https://www.pilatus-aircraft.com/en. 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-
0746; 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, 
General Aviation & Rotorcraft Section, International Validation 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-2020-0746; 
Product Identifier 2019-CE-012-AD'' at the beginning of your comments. 
The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date and may 
amend this proposed AD because of those comments.
    Except for Confidential Business Information as described in the 
following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR 
11.35, the FAA will post all comments received, without change, to 
https://regulations.gov, including any personal information you 
provide. The FAA will also post a report summarizing each substantive 
verbal contact it receives about this proposed AD.

Confidential Business Information

    CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily 
and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public 
disclosure. If your comments responsive to this NPRM contain commercial 
or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that 
you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to 
this NPRM, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted 
comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing 
CBI as ``PROPIN.'' The FAA will treat such marked submissions as 
confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public 
docket of this NPRM. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Doug 
Rudolph, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, General Aviation & Rotorcraft 
Section, International Validation Branch, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas 
City, Missouri 64106. Any commentary that the FAA receives which is not 
specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for 
this rulemaking.

[[Page 47713]]

Discussion

    The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the 
Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Community, has 
issued AD No. 2019-0032, dated February 15, 2019 (referred to after 
this as ``the MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition for Pilatus 
Aircraft Ltd. Model PC-12/47E airplanes. The MCAI states:

    An occurrence was reported of an unlocked main landing gear 
(MLG) during landing of a PC-12/47E, equipped with electro-
mechanical landing gear. Subsequent investigation identified that 
the aeroplane was equipped with an affected part [spring pack 
assemblies having part number (P/N) 532.34.12.101], which had 
completely seized. Serviceable parts [spring pack assemblies having 
P/N 532.34.12.120] have a special surface treatment on the inner and 
outer tube, which would have prevented the seizure.
    This condition, if not corrected, could lead to failure of an 
MLG spring pack assembly, possibly resulting in inability to safely 
extend the MLG and consequent loss of control of the aeroplane after 
landing.
    To address this potential unsafe condition, Pilatus issued the 
[service bulletin] SB to provide inspection and modification 
instructions.
    For the reason described above, this [EASA] AD requires 
replacement of affected parts with serviceable parts, and prohibits 
(re)installation of affected parts.

    Forty-two airplanes were built that may have this version of the 
spring pack assembly installed. An improved spring pack assembly with a 
hard chrome plated inner tube was introduced in 2014. You may examine 
the MCAI on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching 
for and locating Docket No. FAA-2020-0746.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. has issued PC-12 Service Bulletin No. 32-027, 
dated January 7, 2019. The service information contains procedures for 
inspecting the MLG spring pack assembly to determine the part number, 
removing and discarding any affected spring pack assemblies, and 
installing the improved design spring pack assemblies. 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 
the FAA's bilateral agreement with this State of Design Authority, it 
had 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 29 products of 
U.S. registry. The FAA also estimates that it would take about 3 work-
hours per product to comply with the replacement requirements of this 
proposed AD. The average labor rate is $85 per work-hour. Required 
parts would cost about $5,000 per product.
    Based on these figures, the FAA estimates the cost of this proposed 
AD on U.S. operators to be $152,395, or $5,255 per product.
    According to the manufacturer, some of the costs of this proposed 
AD may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on 
affected individuals. The FAA does not control warranty coverage for 
affected individuals. As a result, the FAA has included all costs in 
this 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.
    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:

Pilatus Aircraft Ltd.: Docket No. FAA-2020-0746; Product Identifier 
2019-CE-012-AD.

(a) Comments Due Date

    The FAA must receive comments by September 21, 2020.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This airworthiness directive (AD) applies to Pilatus Aircraft 
Ltd. Model PC-12/47E airplanes, serial numbers 1300 and 1451 thru 
1944 (except serial number 1720), certificated in any category, with 
a main landing gear (MLG) spring pack assembly part number (P/N) 
532.34.12.101 installed.

(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 seizing of an 
MLG spring pack assembly. The FAA is issuing this AD to prevent 
failure of the MLG spring pack assembly, which could result in the 
inability to extend the MLG with consequent loss of control of the 
airplane after landing.

[[Page 47714]]

(f) Actions and Compliance

    (1) Within 2 months after the effective date of this AD, remove 
from service MLG spring pack assembly P/N 532.34.12.101 and install 
MLG spring pack assembly P/N 532.34.12.120 by following the 
Accomplishment Instructions-Part A-Aircraft, section 3.B., in 
Pilatus PC-12 Service Bulletin No. 32-027, dated January 7, 2019.
    (2) As of the effective date of this AD, do not install an MLG 
spring pack assembly P/N 532.34.12.101 on any airplane.

(g) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    The Manager, International Validation 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, General Aviation & Rotorcraft 
Section, International Validation 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, notify your appropriate principal inspector (PI), or lacking a 
PI, your local Flight Standards District Office.

(h) Related Information

    Refer to MCAI European Aviation Safety Agency AD No. 2019-0032, 
dated February 15, 2019, for related information. You may examine 
the MCAI on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching 
for and locating Docket No. FAA-2020-0746. For service information 
related to this AD, contact Pilatus Aircraft Ltd., Customer 
Technical Support (MCC), P.O. Box 992, CH-6371 Stans, Switzerland; 
phone: +41 (0)41 619 67 74; fax: +41 (0)41 619 67 73; email: 
aircraft.com">Techsupport@pilatus-aircraft.com; internet: https://www.pilatus-aircraft.com/en. 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 July 30, 2020.
Lance T. Gant,
Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-17044 Filed 8-5-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P