[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 42 (Friday, March 3, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 13303-13306]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-04254]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2023-0168; Project Identifier MCAI-2022-00553-T; 
Amendment 39-22350; AD 2023-04-03]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Fokker Services B.V. Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all 
Fokker Services B.V. Model F28 Mark 0070 and 0100 airplanes. This AD 
was prompted by reports of cracks at the upper and lower fastener holes 
of a repair plate in the stubwing, which had been applied to repair 
heat damage. This AD requires a one-time inspection of the fuselage 
skin in the stubwing bay area to determine if a heat damage repair 
plate is installed, an inspection of repaired areas for cracking, and 
applicable corrective actions, as specified in a European Union 
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. 
The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these 
products.

DATES: This AD becomes effective March 20, 2023.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of March 20, 
2023.
    The FAA must receive comments on this AD by April 17, 2023.

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 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.
    AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under 
Docket No. FAA-2023-0168; 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 AD, the mandatory continuing airworthiness 
information (MCAI), any comments received, and other information. The 
street address for Docket Operations is listed above.
    Material Incorporated by Reference:
     For EASA material incorporated by reference (IBR) in this 
AD, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 50668 Cologne, Germany; 
telephone +49 221 8999 000; email [email protected]; website 
easa.europa.eu. You may find this material on the EASA website at 
ad.easa.europa.eu.
     You may view this service information at the FAA, 
Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 
216th St., Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this 
material at the FAA, call 206-231-3195.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan Rodina, Aerospace Engineer, Large 
Aircraft Section, FAA, International Validation Branch, 3960 Paramount 
Boulevard, Lakewood, CA 90712-4137; telephone 206-231-3225; email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites you to send any written data, views, or arguments 
about this final rule. Send your comments to an address listed under 
ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2023-0168; Project Identifier MCAI-
2022-00553-T'' at the beginning of your comments. The most helpful 
comments reference a specific portion of the final rule, 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 final rule because of those comments.
    Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in 
the following paragraph, and other

[[Page 13304]]

information as described in 14 CFR 11.35, the FAA will post all 
comments received, without change, to regulations.gov, including any 
personal information you provide. The agency will also post a report 
summarizing each substantive verbal contact received about this final 
rule.

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 AD 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 AD, 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 AD. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Dan 
Rodina, Aerospace Engineer, Large Aircraft Section, FAA, International 
Validation Branch, 3960 Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood, CA 90712-4137; 
telephone 206-231-3225; 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.

Background

    EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member States of the 
European Union, has issued EASA AD 2022-0070, dated April 21, 2022 
(EASA AD 2022-0070) (also referred to as the MCAI), to correct an 
unsafe condition for all Fokker Services B.V. Model F28 Mark 0070 and 
0100 airplanes. The MCAI states that cracks have been reported at the 
upper and lower fastener holes of a repair plate, located within the 
boundaries of the stubwing, which had been applied to repair heat 
damage. The cracks were found about 32,000 flight cycles after the 
repair plate was installed--earlier than expected, suggesting reduced 
resistance to crack growth due to overheated aluminum. This condition, 
if not detected and corrected, could lead to reduced structural 
integrity of the airplane. You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at 
regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2023-0168.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

    EASA AD 2022-0070 specifies procedures for a one-time inspection of 
the fuselage skin in the stubwing bay area to determine whether a heat 
damage repair plate is installed within the boundaries of the stubwing. 
EASA AD 2022-0070 also specifies procedures for a high-frequency eddy-
current (HFEC) inspection for cracks of any repaired area, damage 
tolerance inspections, crack repair, and reporting of inspection 
results to Fokker. This material 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

    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 
has notified the FAA of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI 
described above. The FAA is issuing this AD after determining that the 
unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist or develop on 
other products of the same type design.

Requirements of This AD

    This AD requires accomplishing the actions specified in EASA AD 
2022-0070 described previously, except for any differences identified 
as exceptions in the regulatory text of this AD.

Explanation of Required Compliance Information

    In the FAA's ongoing efforts to improve the efficiency of the AD 
process, the FAA developed a process to use some civil aviation 
authority (CAA) ADs as the primary source of information for compliance 
with requirements for corresponding FAA ADs. The FAA has been 
coordinating this process with manufacturers and CAAs. As a result, 
EASA AD 2022-0070 is incorporated by reference in this AD. This AD 
requires compliance with EASA AD 2022-0070 in its entirety through that 
incorporation, except for any differences identified as exceptions in 
the regulatory text of this AD. Using common terms that are the same as 
the heading of a particular section in EASA AD 2022-0070 does not mean 
that operators need comply only with that section. For example, where 
the AD requirement refers to ``all required actions and compliance 
times,'' compliance with this AD requirement is not limited to the 
section titled ``Required Action(s) and Compliance Time(s)'' in EASA AD 
2022-0070. Service information required by EASA AD 2022-0070 for 
compliance will be available at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-
2023-0168 after this AD is published.

FAA's Justification and Determination of the Effective Date

    Section 553(b)(3)(B) of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 
U.S.C. 551 et seq.) authorizes agencies to dispense with notice and 
comment procedures for rules when the agency, for ``good cause,'' finds 
that those procedures are ``impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to 
the public interest.'' Under this section, an agency, upon finding good 
cause, may issue a final rule without providing notice and seeking 
comment prior to issuance. Further, section 553(d) of the APA 
authorizes agencies to make rules effective in less than thirty days, 
upon a finding of good cause.
    There are currently no domestic operators of these products. 
Accordingly, notice and opportunity for prior public comment are 
unnecessary, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B). In addition, for the 
forgoing reason(s), the FAA finds that good cause exists pursuant to 5 
U.S.C. 553(d) for making this amendment effective in less than 30 days.

Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA)

    The requirements of the RFA do not apply when an agency finds good 
cause pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 to adopt a rule without prior notice and 
comment. Because the FAA has determined that it has good cause to adopt 
this rule without notice and comment, RFA analysis is not required.

Costs of Compliance

    Currently, there are no affected U.S.-registered airplanes. If an 
affected airplane is imported and placed on the U.S. Register in the 
future, the FAA provides the following cost estimates to comply with 
this AD:

[[Page 13305]]



                  Estimated Costs for Required Actions
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Cost per
              Labor cost                   Parts cost        product
------------------------------------------------------------------------
9 work-hours x $85 per hour = $765....              $0             $765
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FAA estimates the following costs to do on-condition HFEC 
inspections that would be required based on the results of any required 
actions. The FAA has no way of determining the number of aircraft that 
might need these inspections:

                 Estimated Costs of On-Condition Actions
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Cost per
              Labor cost                   Parts cost        product
------------------------------------------------------------------------
17 work-hours x $85 per hour = $1,445.              $0           $1,445
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The FAA has received no definitive data on which to base the cost 
estimates for the damage tolerance inspections and repairs specified in 
this AD.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    A federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not 
required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for 
failure to comply with a collection of information subject to the 
requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection of 
information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. The OMB 
Control Number for this information collection is 2120-0056. Public 
reporting for this collection of information is estimated to take 
approximately 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing 
instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and 
maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the 
collection of information. All responses to this collection of 
information are mandatory. Send comments regarding this burden estimate 
or any other aspect of this collection of information, including 
suggestions for reducing this burden, to: Information Collection 
Clearance Officer, Federal Aviation Administration, 10101 Hillwood 
Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76177-1524.

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

    This AD will not have federalism implications under Executive Order 
13132. This AD will 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 that this AD:
    (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive 
Order 12866, and
    (2) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

    Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by 
reference, Safety.

The Amendment

    Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the FAA amends 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:

2023-04-03 Fokker Services B.V.: Amendment 39-22350; Docket No. FAA-
2023-0168; Project Identifier MCAI-2022-00553-T.

(a) Effective Date

    This airworthiness directive (AD) is effective March 20, 2023.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to all Fokker Services B.V. Model F28 Mark 0070 
and 0100 airplanes, certificated in any category.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 53, Fuselage.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by reports of cracks at the upper and lower 
fastener holes of a repair plate in the stubwing, which had been 
applied to repair heat damage, found earlier than expected. The FAA 
is issuing this AD to address reduced resistance to crack growth due 
to overheated aluminum. This condition, if not detected and 
corrected, could lead to reduced structural integrity of the 
airplane.

(f) Compliance

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

(g) Requirements

    Except as specified in paragraph (h) of this AD: Comply with all 
required actions and compliance times specified in, and in 
accordance with, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 
2022-0070, dated April 21, 2022 (EASA AD 2022-0070).

(h) Exceptions to EASA AD 2022-0070

    (1) Where EASA AD 2022-0070 refers to its effective date, this 
AD requires using the effective date of this AD.
    (2) Paragraph (5) of EASA AD 2022-0070 specifies to report 
inspection results to

[[Page 13306]]

Fokker Services B.V. within a certain compliance time. For this AD, 
report inspection results at the applicable time specified in 
paragraph (h)(2)(i) or (ii) of this AD.
    (i) If the inspection was done on or after the effective date of 
this AD: Submit the report within 30 days after the inspection.
    (ii) If the inspection was done before the effective date of 
this AD: Submit the report within 30 days after the effective date 
of this AD.
    (3) This AD does not adopt the ``Remarks'' section of EASA AD 
2022-0070.

(i) Additional AD Provisions

    The following provisions also apply to this AD:
    (1) 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. In accordance with 14 CFR 39.19, send your request to your 
principal inspector or responsible Flight Standards Office, as 
appropriate. If sending information directly to the International 
Validation Branch, send it to the attention of the person identified 
in paragraph (j) of this AD. Information may be emailed to: [email protected]. Before using any approved AMOC, notify your 
appropriate principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, 
the manager of the responsible Flight Standards Office.
    (2) Contacting the Manufacturer: For any requirement in this AD 
to obtain instructions from a manufacturer, the instructions must be 
accomplished using a method approved by the Manager, International 
Validation Branch, FAA; or EASA; or Fokker Services B.V.'s EASA 
Design Organization Approval (DOA). If approved by the DOA, the 
approval must include the DOA-authorized signature.

(j) Additional Information

    For more information about this AD, contact Dan Rodina, 
Aerospace Engineer, Large Aircraft Section, FAA, International 
Validation Branch, 3960 Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood, CA 90712-
4137; telephone 206-231-3225; email [email protected].

(k) Material Incorporated by Reference

    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference of the service information listed in this 
paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) You must use this service information as applicable to do 
the actions required by this AD, unless this AD specifies otherwise.
    (i) European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2022-0070, 
dated April 21, 2022.
    (ii) [Reserved]
    (3) For EASA AD 2022-0070, contact EASA, Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 3, 
50668 Cologne, Germany; telephone +49 221 8999 000; email 
[email protected]; website easa.europa.eu. You may find this EASA 
AD on the EASA website at ad.easa.europa.eu.
    (4) You may view this material at the FAA, Airworthiness 
Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th St., 
Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this material 
at the FAA, call 206-231-3195.
    (5) You may view this material that is incorporated by reference 
at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For 
information on the availability of this material at NARA, email 
[email protected], or go to: www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

    Issued on February 15, 2023.
Christina Underwood,
Acting Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-04254 Filed 3-2-23; 8:45 am]
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