[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 181 (Thursday, September 17, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 58002-58004]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-20485]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0818; Project Identifier MCAI-2020-00987-A]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Pilatus Aircraft Ltd.

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) 
for certain Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. (Pilatus) Model PC-24 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 identifies the unsafe condition as electrical harness 
installations on PC-24 airplanes that are not in compliance with the 
approved design. This unsafe condition could lead to wire chafing and 
potential arcing or failure of wires having the incorrect length, 
possibly resulting in loss of system redundancy, or generation of smoke 
and smell, or loss of power plant fire protection function. 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 November 2, 
2020.

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 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: 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 
Pilatus Aircraft Ltd., CH-6371, Stans, Switzerland; telephone: +41 848 
24 7 365; email: aircraft.com">techsupport.ch@pilatus-aircraft.com; internet: https://www.pilatus-aircraft.com/. 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-2020-0818.

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-
0818; 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 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:

[[Page 58003]]

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-2020-0818; 
Project Identifier MCAI-2020-00987-A'' 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 received, without change, to 
https://www.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

    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 Union Community, 
has issued EASA AD No. 2020-0158, dated July 16, 2020 (referred to 
after this as ``the MCAI''), to address an unsafe condition on certain 
Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. (Pilatus) Model PC-24 airplanes. The MCAI states:

    During production, electrical harness installations on some PC-
24 aeroplanes were found not to comply with the approved design.
    This condition, if not corrected, could lead to wire chafing and 
potential arcing, or to failure of wires having the incorrect 
length, possibly resulting in loss of system redundancy, or 
generation of smoke and smell, or loss of power plant fire 
protection function.
    To address this potential unsafe condition, Pilatus issued the 
[service bulletin] SB, providing instructions to improve the 
electrical harness installations in the nose bay, cockpit, fuselage, 
wing fairing and rear fuselage areas.
    For the reason described above, this [EASA] AD requires 
modification of the electrical harness installations.

    The incorrect length wires are too short in length and do not have 
appropriate slack, which could lead to wires being pulled loose from 
the terminals during flight or ground operation. Generation of smell 
refers to the smell from electrical arcing.
    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-2020-0818.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    The FAA reviewed Pilatus PC-24 Service Bulletin No. 91-001, dated 
April 7, 2020. The service information specifies procedures necessary 
to improve the electrical harness installation in the nose bay, 
cockpit, avionics rack, fuselage, wing fairing, and rear fuselage. 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 the FAA 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 
[Lt]Number_of_Aircraft[Gt] products of U.S. registry. The FAA also 
estimates that it would take 20 work-hours 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 [Lt]Inspect_Parts[Gt] per 
product.
    Based on these figures, the FAA estimates the cost of the proposed 
AD on U.S. operators would be [Lt]Fleet_Cost[Gt], or $1,775 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

[[Page 58004]]

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):

Pilatus Aircraft Ltd.: Docket No. FAA-2020-0818; Project Identifier 
MCAI-2020-00987-A.

(a) Comments Due Date

    The FAA must receive comments by November 2, 2020.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Model PC-24 airplanes, 
serial numbers 101 through 160 inclusive, certificated in any 
category.

(d) Subject

    Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC) Code 2497, ELECTRICAL 
POWER SYSTEM WIRING; 3197, INSTRUMENT SYSTEM WIRING.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by electrical harness installations on some 
PC-24 airplanes in production that did not comply with the approved 
design. The FAA is issuing this AD to prevent wire chafing and 
potential arcing or failure of wires having the incorrect length. 
The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in loss of 
system redundancy, electrical arcing, or loss of power plant fire 
protection.

(f) Actions and Compliance

    Unless already accomplished, during the next annual inspection 
after the effective date of this AD or within 12 months after the 
effective date of this AD, whichever occurs later, modify the 
electrical harness installation in accordance with sections 3.A. 
through 3.H. of Accomplishment Instructions in Pilatus PC-24 Service 
Bulletin No. 91-001, dated April 7, 2020.

(g) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (1) 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 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.
    (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.

(h) Related Information

    (1) For more information about this AD, 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].
    (2) Refer to MCAI European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) 
AD No. 2020-0158, dated July 16, 2020, for more information. You may 
examine the EASA AD in the AD docket on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating it in Docket No. 
FAA-2020-0818.
    (3) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Pilatus Aircraft Ltd., CH-6371, Stans, Switzerland; telephone: +41 
848 24 7 365; email: aircraft.com">techsupport.ch@pilatus-aircraft.com; internet: 
https://www.pilatus-aircraft.com/. 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 September 11, 2020.
Lance T. Gant,
Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-20485 Filed 9-16-20; 8:45 am]
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