[Federal Register: July 22, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 140)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 43775-43777]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22jy04-19]
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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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[[Page 43775]]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. 2003-NE-50-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Hartzell Propeller Inc. Model HC-B3TN-
5( )/ T10282( ) Propellers
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to supersede an existing Priority Letter
Airworthiness Directive (AD) for Hartzell Propeller Inc. Model HC-B3TN-
5( )/T10282( ) propellers. That Priority Letter AD currently requires
initial and repetitive inspections of the blade pilot tube bore area.
This proposed AD would require the same inspections. This proposed AD
results from a review of all currently effective ADs. That review
determined that Priority Letter AD 88-24-15 was not published in the
Federal Register to make it effective to all operators, as opposed to
just the operators who received actual notice of the original Priority
Letter AD. This proposed AD also results from the discovery that the
original AD omitted an airplane model with a certain Supplemental Type
Certificate (STC) from the applicability. We are proposing this AD to
prevent possible blade failure near the hub which can result in blade
separation, engine separation, damage to the airplane, and possible
loss of the airplane.
DATES: We must receive any comments on this proposed AD by September
20, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Use one of the following addresses to submit comments on
this proposed AD:
By mail: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), New
England Region, Office of the Regional Counsel, Attention: Rules Docket
No. 2003-NE-50-AD, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803-
5299.
By fax: (781) 238-7055.
By e-mail: 9-ane-adcomment@faa.gov.
You can get the service information identified in this proposed AD
from Hartzell Propeller Inc. Technical Publications Department, One
Propeller Place, Piqua, OH 45356; telephone (937) 778-4200; fax (937)
778-4391.
You may examine the AD docket, at the FAA, New England Region,
Office of the Regional Counsel, 12 New England Executive Park,
Burlington, MA.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa T. Bradley, Aerospace
Engineer, Chicago Aircraft Certification Office, FAA, Small Airplane
Directorate, 2300 East Devon Avenue, Des Plaines, IL 60018; telephone
(847) 294-8110; fax (847) 294-7834.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
We invite you to submit any written relevant data, views, or
arguments regarding this proposal. Send your comments to an address
listed under ADDRESSES. Include ``AD Docket No. 2003-NE-50-AD'' in the
subject line of your comments. If you want us to acknowledge receipt of
your mailed comments, send us a self-addressed, stamped postcard with
the docket number written on it; we will date-stamp your postcard and
mail it back to you. We specifically invite comments on the overall
regulatory, economic, environmental, and energy aspects of the proposed
AD. If a person contacts us verbally, and that contact relates to a
substantive part of this proposed AD, we will summarize the contact and
place the summary in the docket. We will consider all comments received
by the closing date and may amend the proposed AD in light of those
comments.
We are reviewing the writing style we currently use in regulatory
documents. We are interested in your comments on whether the style of
this document is clear, and your suggestions to improve the clarity of
our communications that affect you. You may get more information about
plain language at http://www.faa.gov/language and http://www.plainlanguage.gov.Examining
the AD Docket
You may examine the AD Docket (including any comments and service
information), by appointment, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays. See ADDRESSES for the
location.
Discussion
On November 18, 1988, the FAA issued Priority Letter AD 88-24-15,
applicable to Hartzell Propeller Inc. model HC-B3TN-5( )/T10282( )
propellers. That AD requires initial and repetitive inspections of the
blade pilot tube bore area, and repair or replacement of parts as
necessary. That AD was the result of a report of a cracked blade found
on a propeller. That condition, if not corrected, could result in
possible blade failure near the hub which can result in blade
separation, engine separation, damage to the airplane, and possible
loss of the airplane.
Actions Since AD 88-24-15 Was Issued
Since that AD was issued, we have reviewed all currently effective
ADs. We found that Priority Letter AD 88-24-15 was not published in the
Federal Register to make it effective to all operators, as opposed to
just the operators who received actual notice of the original Priority
Letter AD.
Also, since that AD was issued, the Chicago Aircraft Certification
Office approved as optional terminating action to the repetitive
inspections, an alternative method of compliance (AMOC). That AMOC
exempts propeller model HC-B3TN-5( ) with blades part number (P/N)
T10282N( ), T10282NB( ), T10282NK( ), or T10282NE( ) installed, from
the AD action. This proposed AD incorporates that AMOC.
Also, since that AD was issued, we discovered that the AD
applicability omitted Fairchild model SA226-AT airplanes, modified by
Garrett General Aviation Services Company, STC SA345GL-D, with Garrett
Model TPE331-10UA-511G engines. We are issuing this proposed AD to
ensure that all affected propellers be inspected.
Relevant Service Information
We have reviewed and approved the technical contents of Hartzell
Service Bulletin (SB) No. 136I, dated April 25, 2003, which describes
the procedures
[[Page 43776]]
for doing the inspections required by this proposed AD.
FAA's Determination and Requirements of the Proposed AD
We have evaluated all pertinent information and identified an
unsafe condition that is likely to exist or develop on other products
of this same type design. Therefore, we are proposing this AD, which
would require for Hartzell Propeller Inc. model HC-B3TN-5( )/T10282( )
propellers (excluding model HC-B3TN-5( ) propellers with blades P/N
T10282N( ), T10282NB( ), T10282NK( ), or T10282NE() installed), initial
and repetitive inspections of the blade pilot tube bore area, and
repair or replacement of parts as necessary. The proposed AD would
require that you do these actions using the service information
described previously.
Cost of Compliance
By adding STC SA345GL applicability, there are about 50 additional
Hartzell Propeller Inc. Model HC-B3TN-5( )/T10282( ) propellers of the
affected design in the worldwide fleet. Including the additional
applicability, we estimate a total of 500 propellers have been
installed on airplanes of U.S. registry and would be affected by this
proposed AD. We also estimate that it would take about 2.5 work hours
per propeller blade to perform the proposed actions, and that the
average labor rate is $65 per work hour. Based on these figures, we
estimate the total cost of the proposed AD to U.S. operators is
$243,750.
Regulatory Findings
We have 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 that the proposed
regulation:
1. Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under Executive Order
12866;
2. Is not a ``significant rule'' under the DOT Regulatory Policies
and Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979); 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.
We prepared a summary of the costs to comply with this proposal and
placed it in the AD Docket. You may get a copy of this summary by
sending a request to us at the address listed under ADDRESSES. Include
``AD Docket No. 2003-NE-50-AD'' in your request.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Safety.
The Proposed Amendment
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the Federal Aviation Administration proposes to amend 14
CFR part 39 as follows:
PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES
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]
2. The FAA amends Sec. 39.13 by adding a new airworthiness
directive, to read as follows:
Hartzell Propeller Inc.: Docket No. 2003-NE-50-AD. Supersedes
Priority Letter AD 88-24-15.
Comments Due Date
(a) The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must receive
comments on this airworthiness directive (AD) action by September
20, 2004.
Affected ADs
(b) This AD supersedes Priority Letter AD 88-24-15.
Applicability: (c) This AD applies to Hartzell Propeller Inc.
model HC-B3TN-5( )/T10282( ) propellers installed on the airplane
and engine combinations shown in the following Table 1 (excluding
propellers with blades P/N T10282N( ), T10282NB( ), T10282NK( ), or
T10282NE( ) installed).
Table 1.--Applicability
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Airplane model Propeller model Engine model
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fairchild SA226-TC..........
Fairchild SA226-AT.......... HC-B3TN-5( )/T10282( Garrett TPE331-10UA-
). 511G
Fairchild SA226-T...........
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(d) For reference, airplanes incorporating supplemental type
certificates (STCs) SA344GL-D, SA4872SW, and SA345GL-D have these
engine, propeller, and airplane combinations.
(e) The parentheses appearing in the propeller model number
indicates the presence or absence of an additional letter(s) that
varies the basic propeller model. This AD still applies regardless
of whether these letters are present or absent in the propeller
model designation.
Unsafe Condition
(f) This AD results from a review of all currently effective
ADs. That review determined that Priority Letter AD 88-24-15 was not
published in the Federal Register to make it effective to all
operators, as opposed to just the operators who received actual
notice of the original Priority Letter AD. This AD also results from
the discovery that the original AD omitted an airplane model with a
certain STC from the applicability. We are issuing this AD to
prevent possible blade failure near the hub which can result in
blade separation, engine separation, damage to the airplane, and
possible loss of the airplane.
Compliance: (g) You are responsible for having the actions
required by this AD performed within the compliance times specified
unless the actions have already been done.
Required Actions
(h) Within 10 hours time-in-service (TIS) after the effective
date of this AD, perform a document search to determine if the
following actions have been done:
(1) The propeller blades meet the initial and repetitive
compliance requirements of Priority Letter AD 88-24-15.
(2) The T10282( ) propeller blades have been replaced with P/N
T10282N( ), T10282NB(), T10282NK( ), or T10282NE( ) propeller
blades.
(i) If the actions in paragraph (h)(1) or (h)(2) of this AD have
not been done, then do one of the following:
(1) Inspect the blades using Paragraph 3 of Accomplishment
Instructions of Hartzell Service Bulletin (SB) No. 136I, dated April
25, 2003, within 500 hours time-since-new (TSN) or time-since-last-
overhaul (TSLO) and not to exceed two years after the effective date
of this AD, whichever occurs first; and thereafter within 500
service-hour intervals; or
(2) Replace with P/N T10282N( ), T 10282NB( ), T10282NK( ), or
T10282NE( ) propeller blades as applicable, within 500 hours TSN or
TSLO and not to exceed two years after the effective date of this
AD, whichever occurs first.
(j) If the actions in paragraph (h)(1) of this AD have been
done, but not the actions in paragraph (h)(2) of this AD, then do
the following:
[[Page 43777]]
(1) Inspect the blades within 500 hours since the last Hartzell
SB No. 136E, or later Revision, inspection, and thereafter within
500 service hour intervals, using Paragraph 3 of the Accomplishment
Instructions of Hartzell SB No. 136I, dated April 25, 2003.
(2) Replace before further flight all blades showing evidence of
cracks or other unairworthy conditions, as noted in Hartzell SB No.
136I, dated April 25, 2003, with airworthy blades.
Hartzell SB No. 136
(k) Since Hartzell SB No. 136E was issued, the SB has been
revised to 136F, 136G, 136H, and 136I. Any of these revisions are
suitable for determining past compliance, as they are all approved
as alternative methods of compliance (AMOC). After the effective
date of this AD, compliance is restricted to SB No. 136I or later
versions when approved by an AMOC.
Optional Terminating Action
(l) Installation of propeller blades, P/N T10282NE( ), T10282NB(
), T10282NK( ), or T10282NE( ) as applicable, onto a Hartzell
Propeller Inc. model HC-B3TN-5( ) propeller constitutes terminating
action to the inspections, repairs, and replacements specified in
paragraphs (i) through (j)(2) of this AD.
Alternative Methods of Compliance
(m) The Manager, Chicago Aircraft Certification Office, has the
authority to approve alternate methods of compliance for this AD if
requested using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19.
Material Incorporated by Reference
(n) None.
Related Information
(o) None.
Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on July 16, 2004.
Robert Guyotte,
Acting Manager, Engine and Propeller Directorate, Aircraft
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 04-16662 Filed 7-21-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P