[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 153 (Friday, August 7, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 47919-47921]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-17036]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
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 

  Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 153 / Friday, August 7, 2020 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 47919]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0744; Project Identifier 2019-CE-056-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Pilatus Aircraft Ltd

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) 
for certain Pilatus Aircraft Ltd Model PC-24 airplanes. This proposed 
AD was prompted by 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 the vinyl grommets on the upper panel 
assembly on the left-hand (LH) and right-hand (RH) emergency exits 
becoming rigid after exposure to low temperatures, which could result 
in failure of the emergency exits to open during an evacuation. This 
proposed AD would require replacing the grommets. 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 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 view this service 
information at the FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, Operational 
Safety Branch, 901 Locust, Kansas City, MO 64106. For information on 
the availability of this material at the FAA, call 816-329-4148. It is 
also available on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by 
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2020-0744.

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-
0744; 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 NPRM, the MCAI, any comments received, and other information. The 
street address for Docket Operations is in the ADDRESSES section. 
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-2020-0744; 
Product Identifier 2019-CE-056-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 (CBI) as described in 
the following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR 
11.35, 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 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; telephone: (816) 329-4059; fax: (816) 329-4090; 
email: [email protected]. Any commentary that the FAA receives which 
is not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public 
docket for this rulemaking.

Discussion

    The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the 
Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Community, has 
issued EASA AD No. 2019-0293, dated December 4, 2019 (referred to after 
this as ``the MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition for all PC-24 
airplanes. The MCAI states:

    After exposure to low temperatures, the vinyl grommets which 
hold the upper panel assembly in position on the left-hand and 
right-hand emergency exits were found to become rigid.
    This condition, if not corrected, could result in failure of the 
emergency exits to

[[Page 47920]]

open during an evacuation, possibly resulting in injury to 
occupants.
    To address this potential unsafe condition, Pilatus issued the 
[service bulletin] SB to provide modification instructions.
    For the reason described above, this [EASA] AD requires 
replacement of affected parts with serviceable parts, as defined in 
this AD, and prohibits (re-)installation of affected parts.

    You may obtain further information by examining the MCAI in the AD 
docket on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching for 
and locating Docket No. FAA-2020-0744.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    The FAA reviewed Pilatus Aircraft Ltd PC-24 Service Bulletin No. 
25-005, dated August 12, 2019. The service information contains 
procedures for replacing the grommets that are used to hold the upper 
panel assembly in position on the LH and RH emergency exits with 
different part-numbered grommets. 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 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 our 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 39 products of 
U.S. registry. The FAA also estimates that it would take 1.0 work-hour 
per product to comply with the requirements of this proposed AD. The 
average labor rate is $85 per work-hour. Required parts would cost 
about $30 per product.
    Based on these figures, the FAA estimates the cost of the AD on 
U.S. operators to be $4,485 or $115 per product.
    According to the manufacturer, some of the costs of this 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-2020-0744; Project Identifier 
2019-CE-056-AD.

(a) Comments Due Date

    The FAA must receive comments by August 27, 2020.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This airworthiness directive (AD) applies to Pilatus Aircraft 
Ltd. Model PC-24 airplanes, all serial numbers, with an emergency 
exit grommet part number (P/N) 944.87.32.001 installed, certificated 
in any category.

(d) Subject

    Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC) Code 52: Doors.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by a report that after exposure to low 
temperatures, the vinyl grommets that hold the upper panel assembly 
in position on the left-hand (LH) and right-hand (RH) emergency 
exits can become rigid. This unsafe condition, if not addressed, 
could result in failure of the emergency exits to open during an 
evacuation.

(f) Actions and Compliance

    Unless already done, do the following actions in paragraphs 
(f)(1) and (2) of this AD.
    (1) Within 3 months after the effective date of this AD, replace 
each grommet P/N 944.87.32.001 holding the upper panel assembly in 
position on the LH and RH emergency exits with grommet P/N 
525.26.24.035 in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions, 
section 3.B., of Pilatus Aircraft Ltd PC-24 Service Bulletin No. 25-
005, dated August 12, 2019.
    (2) As of the effective date of this AD, do not install a 
grommet P/N 944.87.32.001 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 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. 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.

[[Page 47921]]

(h) Related Information

    Refer to MCAI European Union Aviation Safety Agency AD No. 2019-
0293, dated December 4, 2019. You may examine the MCAI on the 
internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching for and 
locating Docket No. FAA-2020-0744. For service information related 
to this 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.

    Issued on July 30, 2020.
Lance T. Gant,
Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-17036 Filed 8-6-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P