[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 69 (Friday, April 11, 2025)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 15417-15419]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-06157]
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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. 90, No. 69 / Friday, April 11, 2025 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 15417]]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2025-0349; Project Identifier AD-2024-00208-T]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company 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 The Boeing Company Model 737-700, 737-800, 737-900, 737-
900ER, 737-8, and 737-9 series airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted
by a report of a passenger being unable to exit the lavatory during
flight due to a broken latch that prevented toggling of the lock. This
proposed AD would require replacing lavatory bifold door latches with
latches having an improved design. This proposed AD would also prohibit
the installation of affected parts. 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 May 27,
2025.
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-2025-0349; 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: Nicole Tsang, Aviation Safety
Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; phone: 206-
231-3959; 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-2025-0349;
Project Identifier AD-2024-00208-T'' 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
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
Nicole Tsang, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des
Moines, WA 98198; phone: 206-231-3959; email: [email protected].
Any commentary that the FAA receives that is not specifically
designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this
rulemaking.
Background
The FAA has received a report indicating that during flight, a
passenger was unable to exit the lavatory due to a broken latch that
prevented toggling of the lock. Flight attendants were unable to open
the bifold door, leading the flightcrew to accomplish an unscheduled
landing. It was determined that bifold door latches failed in service,
preventing the bifold door from opening without mechanic assistance.
The root cause was material fatigue of the plastic structure of the
bifold door latch. The material fatigue was caused primarily by
excessive stress combined with weld-line and machining marks from
drilling holes for inserts into the plastic structure. In an otherwise
survivable emergency event (e.g., severe turbulence, medical emergency,
or emergency egress), potential damages to the lavatory lock could
impede access to the passenger and impede egress during an emergency
evacuation, which may result in serious injury to the trapped occupant.
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.
Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM
This proposed AD would require replacing the lavatory bifold door
latch having part number (P/N) SC1L500031-3/20218-3, SC1L500031-4/
20218-4, SC1L500031-5/20218-5/20218-7, or SC1L500031-6/20218-6/20218-8
with lavatory bifold door latch having P/N SC1L500031-9/20218-9 or
SC1L500031-10/20218-10. This proposed AD would also prohibit the
installation of the affected part.
[[Page 15418]]
Costs of Compliance
The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would
affect 2,612 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the
following costs to comply with this proposed AD:
Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cost on U.S.
Action Labor cost Parts cost Cost per product operators
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Replacement..................... 2 work-hours x $85 Up to $481 per Up to $1,302 (Up Up to $3,400,824.
per hour = $170 latch. to 2 latches per
per latch. airplane).
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The FAA has included all known costs in its cost estimate.
According to the manufacturer, however, some or all of the costs of
this proposed AD may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the
cost impact on affected operators.
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(f), 40113, 44701.
Sec. 39.13 [Amended]
0
2. The FAA amends Sec. 39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness
directive:
The Boeing Company: Docket No. FAA-2025-0349; Project Identifier AD-
2024-00208-T.
(a) Comments Due Date
The FAA must receive comments on this airworthiness directive
(AD) by May 27, 2025.
(b) Affected ADs
None.
(c) Applicability
This AD applies to certain The Boeing Company Model 737-700,
737-800, 737-900, 737-900ER, 737-8, and 737-9 series airplanes,
certificated in any category, with lavatory bifold door latch part
number (P/N) SC1L500031-3/20218-3, SC1L500031-4/20218-4, SC1L500031-
5/20218-5/20218-7, or SC1L500031-6/20218-6/20218-8.
(d) Subject
Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 25; Equipment/
Furnishings.
(e) Unsafe Condition
This AD was prompted by a report that a passenger was unable to
exit the lavatory during flight due to a broken latch that prevented
toggling of the lock. The FAA is issuing this AD to address bifold
door latch failure during service preventing the bifold door from
opening without mechanic assistance. In an otherwise survivable
emergency event (e.g., severe turbulence, medical emergency, or
emergency egress), potential damages to the lavatory lock could
impede access to the passenger and impede egress during an emergency
evacuation, which may result in serious injury to the trapped
occupant.
(f) Compliance
Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified,
unless already done.
(g) Replace Lavatory Bifold Door Latch
Within 4 months after the effective date of this AD. Replace
lavatory bifold door latch having part number SC1L500031-3/20218-3,
SC1L500031-4/20218-4, SC1L500031-5/20218-5/20218-7, or SC1L500031-6/
20218-6/20218-8 with lavatory bifold door latch having part number
SC1L500031-9/20218-9 or SC1L500031-10/20218-10.
Note 1 to paragraph (g): Guidance for accomplishing the actions
required by this AD can be found in B/E Aerospace Service Bulletin
1L3-25-0069, Revision 4, dated April 18, 2024.
Note 2 to paragraph (g): For airplanes modified via Supplemental
Type Certificate (STC) ST02574SE, guidance for accomplishing the
actions required by this AD can be found in B/E Aerospace Service
Bulletin 1L3-25-0083, Revision 2, dated August 26, 2020.
Note 3 to paragraph (g): For airplanes modified via STC
ST02582SE, guidance for accomplishing the actions required by this
AD can be found in B/E Aerospace Service Bulletin 1L3-25-0112,
Revision 1, dated August 26, 2020.
(h) Parts Installation Prohibition
As of the effective date of this AD, no person may install, on
any airplane, a lavatory bifold door latch having part number
SC1L500031-3/20218-3, SC1L500031-4/20218-4, SC1L500031-5/20218-5/
20218-7, or SC1L500031-6/20218-6/20218-8.
(i) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)
(1) The Manager, AIR-520, Continued Operational Safety 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 manager of the certification office,
send it to the attention of the person identified in paragraph
(j)(1) of this AD. Information may be emailed to: [email protected].
(2) Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate
principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager
of the responsible Flight Standards Office.
[[Page 15419]]
(3) An AMOC that provides an acceptable level of safety may be
used for any repair, modification, or alteration required by this AD
if it is approved by The Boeing Company Organization Designation
Authorization (ODA) that has been authorized by the Manager, AIR-
520, Continued Operational Safety Branch, FAA, to make those
findings. To be approved, the repair method, modification deviation,
or alteration deviation must meet the certification basis of the
airplane, and the approval must specifically refer to this AD.
(j) Related Information
(1) For more information about this AD, contact Nicole Tsang,
Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA
98198; phone: 206-231-3959; email: [email protected].
(2) For B/E Aerospace material identified in this AD that is not
incorporated by reference, contact Collins Aerospace, Interiors--B/E
Aerospace--ALCI, 11404 Commando Road, Suite B, Everett, WA 98204,
United States; telephone +1-888-232-2594; email
[email protected]; website
customers.collinsaerospace.com.
(k) Material Incorporated by Reference
None.
Issued on March 13, 2025.
Peter A. White,
Deputy Director, Integrated Certificate Management Division, Aircraft
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-06157 Filed 4-10-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P