[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 1, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 5428-5430]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-01955]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2022-0021; Project Identifier AD-2020-01283-A]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Piper Aircraft, Inc., Airplanes

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 Piper Aircraft, Inc., (Piper) Model PA-46-600TP airplanes. 
This proposed AD was prompted by testing that showed that the wing 
splice assembly could fail before the assembly reaches its established 
life limit. This proposed AD would require revising the Airworthiness 
Limitations section of the existing maintenance manual (MM) or 
instructions for continued airworthiness to reduce the life limit of 
the wing splice 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 March 18, 
2022.

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 Piper 
Aircraft, Inc., 2926 Piper Drive, Vero Beach, FL 32960; phone: (772) 
299-2141; website: https://www.piper.com. You may view the 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 (817) 222-5110.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket at https://www.regulations.gov by 
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2022-0021; 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 above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Marshall, Aviation Safety 
Engineer, Atlanta ACO Branch, FAA, 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, 
GA 30337; phone: (404) 474-5524; email: [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 ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2022-0021; Project Identifier 
AD-2020-01283-A'' 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 received 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

[[Page 5429]]

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 John Marshall, Aviation Safety Engineer, Atlanta ACO Branch, 
FAA, 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, GA 30337. Any commentary that 
the FAA receives which is not specifically designated as CBI will be 
placed in the public docket for this rulemaking.

Background

    The FAA was notified by Piper of testing that showed that the wing 
splice assembly, part number (P/N) 46W57A100-001, could fail before 
reaching its established life limit on Model PA-46-600-TP airplanes. 
The wing splice assembly was certificated with a life limit of 5,132 
hours time-in-service (TIS); however, the failures of the test assembly 
occurred before reaching that established life limit. The stress levels 
used in the life limit analysis were not adequate. After a new fatigue 
test article analysis, Piper reduced the life limit of the wing splice 
assembly P/N 46W57A100-001 from 5,132 hours TIS to 3,767 hours TIS and 
revised the Airworthiness Limitations section in the MM accordingly.
    Failure of the wing splice assembly, if not addressed, could result 
in loss of airplane control. Airplanes having serial numbers 4698186 
and larger (in production airplanes) will be delivered with an 
Airworthiness Limitations section with the reduced life limit 
incorporated.

FAA's Determination

    The FAA is issuing this NPRM after determining that the unsafe 
condition described previously is likely to exist or develop on other 
products of the same type design.

Related Service Information

    The FAA reviewed Piper Aircraft, Inc., PA-46-600TP, M600 
Maintenance Manual, Airworthiness Limitations, Section 4-00-00, dated 
August 31, 2021. This service information specifies the life limits of 
structural parts for the Model PA-46-600TP airplane, and reduced the 
life limit for the wing splice assembly.

Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM

    This proposed AD would require revising the Airworthiness 
Limitations section of the existing MM or instructions for continued 
airworthiness to reduce the life limit of the wing splice assembly.

Costs of Compliance

    The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would 
affect 127 airplanes of U.S. registry.
    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           airplane        operators
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Revise the Airworthiness           1 work-hour x $85     Not Applicable.........             $85         $10,795
 Limitations section.               per hour = $85.
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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) Would not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and
    (3) Would 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:

Piper Aircraft, Inc.: Docket No. FAA-2022-0021; Project Identifier 
AD-2020-01283-A.

(a) Comments Due Date

    The FAA must receive comments on this airworthiness directive 
(AD) by March 18, 2022.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Piper Aircraft, Inc., Model PA-46-600TP 
airplanes, serial numbers 4698001 and 4698004 through 4698185, 
certificated in any category.

(d) Subject

    Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC) Code 5711, Wing Spar.

[[Page 5430]]

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD results from testing that showed that the wing splice 
assembly could fail before the assembly reaches its established life 
limit. The FAA is issuing this AD to prevent failure of the wing 
splice assembly before the current established life limit. The 
unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in loss of airplane 
control.

(f) Compliance

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

(g) Action

    Within 90 days after the effective date of this AD, revise the 
Airworthiness Limitations section in the existing maintenance manual 
or instructions for continued airworthiness by reducing the life 
limit of the wing splice assembly part number 46W57A100-001 to 3,767 
hours time-in-service.
    Note 1 to paragraph (g): Section 4-00-00 of Piper Aircraft, 
Inc., PA-46-600TP, M600 Maintenance Manual, Airworthiness 
Limitations, Page 1, dated August 31, 2021, contains the life limit 
in paragraph (g) of this AD.

(h) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (1) The Manager, Atlanta 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 John Marshall, 
Aviation Safety Engineer, Atlanta ACO Branch, FAA, 1701 Columbia 
Avenue, College Park, GA 30337; phone: (404) 474-5524; email: 
[email protected].
    (2) For service information identified in this AD, contact Piper 
Aircraft, Inc., 2926 Piper Drive, Vero Beach, FL 32960; phone: (772) 
299-2141; website: https://www.piper.com. 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 (817) 222-5110.

    Issued on January 26, 2022.
Lance T. Gant,
Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-01955 Filed 1-31-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P