[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 210 (Thursday, October 29, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 68501-68503]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23812]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0915; Project Identifier AD-2020-00661-Q]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Rockwell Collins, Inc., Global 
Positioning Systems

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 Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rockwell Collins), GPS-4000S Global 
Positioning Systems (GPS) installed on airplanes. This proposed AD was 
prompted by an un-annunciated GPS position error, which could cause a 
misleading localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV) 
glidepath, resulting in controlled flight into terrain (CFIT). This 
proposed AD would require upgrading the GPS-4000S. 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 December 
14, 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 Rockwell 
Collins, Inc., 400 Collins Road NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52498; phone: 319-
295-5000; email: [email protected]; internet: https://www.rockwellcollins.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-2020-0915.

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-
0915; 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, any comments received, and other information. The street 
address for Docket Operations is listed in the ADDRESSES section. 
Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Rau, Aerospace Engineer, Wichita 
ACO Branch, FAA, 1801 Airport Road, Wichita, Kansas 67209; phone: 316-

[[Page 68502]]

946-4149; fax: 316-946-4107; email: [email protected] or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or 
arguments about this proposal. Send your comments to an address listed 
under the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2020-0915; 
Project Identifier AD-2020-00661-Q'' at the beginning of your comments. 
The most helpful comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, 
explain the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting 
data. The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date 
and may amend this proposal 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 agency will also post a report summarizing each 
substantive verbal contact we receive about this NPRM.

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 Paul 
Rau, Aerospace Engineer, Wichita ACO Branch, FAA, 1801 Airport Road, 
Wichita, Kansas 67209; phone: 316-946-4149; fax: 316-946-4107; email: 
[email protected] or [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 FAA was notified of a software error in the Rockwell Collins 
GPS-4000S GPS, part number (P/N) 822-2189-100, installed on airplanes. 
The software error can result in an un-annunciated inaccurate GPS 
position in the region within approximately 1,000 miles (+/- 20 
degrees) of 180 degrees west longitude. The software improperly applies 
the wide area augmentation system ionospheric delay corrections to the 
GPS signal from satellites located across the 180th meridian. Due to 
this anomaly, the position accuracy may be diminished such that the 
GPS-4000S P/N 822-2189-100 will not support LPV approaches in the 
affected region. This condition, if not addressed, could result in a 
misleading glidepath on an affected LPV approach resulting in CFIT.

Related Service Information

    The FAA reviewed Rockwell Collins Service Information Letter (SIL) 
GPS-4X00( )-19-3, Revision No. 2, dated March 25, 2020. The service 
letter describes the unsafe condition and provides operating 
limitations for approaches to airports in the affected region until the 
software is upgraded.
    The FAA also reviewed Rockwell Collins Service Bulletin GPS-4X00( 
)-34-510, Revision No. 1, dated March 6, 2020. The service bulletin 
specifies procedures for upgrading the GPS-4000S software, which 
removes P/N 822-2189-100 and installs P/N 822-2189-101.

FAA's Determination

    The FAA is issuing this AD because it evaluated all the relevant 
information and determined the unsafe condition described previously is 
likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design.

AD Requirements

    This proposed AD would require removing P/N 822-2189-100 GPS-4000S 
Global Positioning System(s) from the airplane and installing P/N 822-
2189-101 GPS-4000S Global Positioning System(s).

Costs of Compliance

    The FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 3,500 
airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates that 2,000 airplanes have 
two GPS-4000S units installed and 1,500 airplanes have one GPS-4000S 
unit installed.
    The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed 
AD:

                                                 Estimated Costs
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                                                                                     Cost per      Cost on U.S.
                Action                         Labor cost           Parts cost        product        operators
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Replace GPS-4000S (airplanes with 2     7 work-hours x $85 per         $4,540.00          $5,135     $10,270,000
 units installed).                       hour = $595.
Replace GPS-4000S (airplanes with       3.50 work-hours x $85              2,270        2,567.50       3,851,250
 single unit installed).                 per hour = $297.50.
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    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

[[Page 68503]]

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:

Rockwell Collins, Inc.: Docket No. FAA-2020-0915; Project Identifier 
AD-2020-00661-Q.

(a) Comments Due Date

    The FAA must receive comments by December 14, 2020.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This airworthiness directive (AD) applies to Rockwell Collins, 
Inc. GPS-4000S Global Positioning System (GPS) part number (P/N) 
822-2189-100 installed on airplanes, certificated in any category.

(d) Subject

    Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC)/Air Transport Association 
(ATA) of America Code 3400, NAVIGATION SYSTEM.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by an un-annunciated GPS vertical error 
that could result in a hazardously misleading localizer performance 
vertical (LPV) glidepath. The FAA is issuing this AD to prevent a 
misleading GPS position on an LPV approach. The unsafe condition, if 
not addressed, result in a misleading GPS position on an LPV 
approach resulting in controlled flight into terrain.

(f) Compliance

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

(g) Actions

    (1) Within 24 months after the effective date of this AD, 
replace GPS-4000S GPS P/N 822-2189-100 with P/N 822-2189-101.
    (2) As of the effective date of this AD, do not install GPS-
4000S GPS P/N 822-2189-100 on any airplane.

 (h) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (1) The Manager, Wichita 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 the attention of the 
person identified in paragraph (i)(1) of this AD.
    (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.

(i) Related Information

    (1) For more information about this AD, contact Paul Rau, 
Aerospace Engineer, Wichita ACO Branch, FAA, 1801 Airport Road, 
Wichita, Kansas 67209; phone: 316-946-4149; fax: 316-946-4107; 
email: [email protected] or [email protected].
    (2) For service information identified in this proposed AD, 
contact Rockwell Collins, Inc., Collins Aviation Services, 400 
Collins Road NE, M/S 164-100, Cedar Rapids, IA 52498-0001; 
telephone: 888-265-5467 (U.S.) or 319-265-5467; fax: 319-295-4941 
(outside U.S.); email: [email protected]; internet: 
https://portal.rockwellcollins.com/web/publications-and-training. 
You may view this referenced 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.

    Issued on October 21, 2020.
Lance T. Gant,
Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-23812 Filed 10-28-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P