[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 216 (Thursday, November 7, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 88173-88174]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-25883]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
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. 89, No. 216 / Thursday, November 7, 2024 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 88173]]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2024-2142; Project Identifier AD-2024-00033-A]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Piper Aircraft, Inc. Airplanes
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); extension of comment
period.
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SUMMARY: This document announces an extension of the comment period for
the referenced NPRM, which proposed to supersede Airworthiness
Directive (AD) 2020-26-16, which applies to certain Piper Aircraft,
Inc. (Piper) Model PA-28-151, PA-28-161, PA-28-181, PA-28-235, PA-28R-
180, PA-28R-200, PA-28R-201, PA-28R-201T, PA-28RT-201, PA-28RT-201T,
PA-32-260, PA-32-300, PA-32R-300, PA-32RT-300, and PA-32RT-300T
airplanes. This NPRM invited comments concerning the proposed
requirements for calculating the calculated service hours (CSH) to
determine the times for required actions for each main wing spar;
repetitively inspecting the lower main wing spar bolt holes for
crack(s) and non-crack damage and taking corrective actions as needed;
and replacing or modifying main wing spars at a specified time. This
NPRM also invited comments concerning the proposal to revise the
applicability by removing certain airplanes and adding a new airplane
model. This extension of the comment period is necessary to provide all
interested persons an opportunity to present their views on the
proposed requirements of this NPRM.
DATES: The comment period for the NPRM published on September 23, 2024,
at 89 FR 77457, and scheduled to close on November 7, 2024, is extended
until December 9, 2024.
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-2024-2142; 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: Fred Caplan, Aviation Safety Engineer,
FAA, 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, GA 30337; phone: (404) 474-
5507; 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 the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2024-2142;
Project Identifier AD-2024-00033-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 revise 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
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 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 Fred
Caplan, Aviation Safety Engineer, 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 issued an NPRM to amend 14 CFR part 39 by adding an AD that
would supersede AD 2020-26-16, Amendment 39-21371 (86 FR 3769, January
15, 2021) (AD 2020-26-16), for certain Piper Model PA-28-151, PA-28-
161, PA-28-181, PA-28-235, PA-28R-180, PA-28R-200, PA-28R-201, PA-28R-
201T, PA-28RT-201, PA-28RT-201T, PA-32-260, PA-32-300, PA-32R-300, PA-
32RT-300, and PA-32RT-300T airplanes. AD 2020-26-16 requires
calculating the factored service hours (FSH) for each main wing spar to
determine when an inspection is required, inspecting the lower main
wing spar bolt holes for crack(s), and replacing any cracked main wing
spar. Since the FAA issued AD 2020-26-16, the FAA evaluated the reports
required by AD 2020-26-16 and determined that repetitive inspections of
the lower main wing spar bolt holes for crack(s) and non-crack damage
(including deep scratches, gouges, and thread marks) and replacement or
modification of the main wing spar should be required, CSH should be
used instead of FSH to determine times for required actions for each
main wing spar, and that certain airplanes should be removed from the
[[Page 88174]]
applicability and a new airplane model added to the applicability.
The NPRM published in the Federal Register on September 23, 2024
(89 FR 77457). In the NPRM, the FAA proposed to require calculating the
CSH for each main wing spar; repetitively inspecting the lower main
wing spar bolt holes for crack(s) and non-crack damage and taking
corrective actions as needed; replacing or modifying main wing spars at
a specified time; and reporting inspection results to Piper and the FAA
if any cracks are found during any inspection. In the NPRM, the FAA
also proposed to revise the applicability by removing certain airplanes
and adding a new airplane model. The FAA is proposing this AD to detect
and correct fatigue cracks in the lower main wing spar cap bolt holes.
The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could result in a wing
separating from the fuselage in flight.
Actions Since the NPRM Was Issued
Since issuance of the NPRM, the FAA received a request from Piper
to extend the comment period. The commenter stated that the NPRM is
complex and could drive substantial costs, among other things. In
addition, the commenter stated that two significant hurricanes have
prevented operators from performing a dedicated review of the NPRM. To
be able to prepare informed and meaningful comments Piper requested an
extension of 30 days to the comment period.
The FAA has determined that it is appropriate to extend the comment
period for the NPRM to give all interested persons additional time to
examine the proposed requirements and submit comments. The FAA has
determined that extending the comment period an additional 30 days will
not compromise the safety of the affected airplanes.
Extension of Comment Period
The FAA has reviewed the request for extension of the comment
period for this notice. The commenter has shown a substantive interest
in the proposed policy and good cause for the extension of the comment
period. Therefore, in accordance with 14 CFR 11.47(c), the FAA has
determined that an extension of the comment period for an additional 30
days to December 9, 2024, is consistent with the public interest, and
that good cause exists for taking this action.
Accordingly, the comment period for Docket No. FAA-2024-2142 is
extended until December 9, 2024.
Because no other portion of the proposal or other regulatory
information has been changed, the entire proposal is not being
republished.
Issued under authority provided by 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, and
44701.
Issued on November 1, 2024.
Steven W. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-25883 Filed 11-6-24; 8:45 am]
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