[Federal Register: June 7, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 108)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 32984-32986]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07jn05-3]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2004-19988; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-30-AD;
Amendment 39-14111; AD 2005-11-09]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Boeing Model 727-200 Series Airplanes
Equipped With a No. 3 Cargo Door
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for
certain Boeing Model 727-200 series airplanes equipped with a No. 3
cargo door. This AD requires repetitive detailed and high frequency
eddy current inspections for cracking of the forward, lower corner
frame and forward end of the lower beam of the No. 3 cargo door, and
corrective actions if necessary. The AD provides an optional
terminating action for the repetitive inspections. This AD is prompted
by reports of cracking at the forward, lower corner frame and lower
beam of the No. 3 cargo door. We are issuing this AD to detect and
correct cracking of the forward, lower corner frame and forward end of
the lower beam of the No. 3 cargo door, which could result in failure
of the affected door stops, loss of the cargo door, and consequent
rapid decompression of the airplane.
DATES: This AD becomes effective July 12, 2005.
The incorporation by reference of a certain publication listed in
the AD is approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of July
12, 2005.
ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this AD, contact
Boeing Commercial Airplanes, P.O. Box 3707, Seattle, Washington 98124-
2207.
Docket: The AD docket contains the proposed AD, comments, and any
final disposition. You can examine the AD docket on the Internet at
http://dms.dot.gov, or in person at the Docket Management Facility
office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. The Docket Management Facility office (telephone (800) 647-
5227) is located on the plaza level of the Nassif Building at the U.S.
Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., room PL-401,
Washington, DC. This docket number is FAA-2004-19988; the directorate
identifier for this docket is 2004-NM-30-AD.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel F. Kutz, Aerospace Engineer,
Airframe Branch, ANM-120S, FAA, Seattle Aircraft Certification Office,
1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 98055-4056; telephone (425)
917-6456; fax (425) 917-6590.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA proposed to amend 14 CFR part 39
with an AD for certain Boeing Model 727-200 series airplanes equipped
with a No. 3 cargo door. That action, published in the Federal Register
on January 5, 2005 (70 FR 729), proposed to require repetitive detailed
and high frequency eddy current inspections for cracking of the
forward, lower corner frame and forward end of the lower beam of the
No. 3 cargo door, and corrective actions if necessary. That action also
proposed to provide an optional terminating action for the repetitive
inspections.
Comments
We provided the public the opportunity to participate in the
development of this AD. We have
[[Page 32985]]
considered the comments that have been submitted on the proposed AD.
Support for the Proposed AD
One commenter supports the intent of the NPRM and actions of the
proposed AD.
Request To Replace Reference to Designated Engineering Representative
(DER)
One commenter, the manufacturer, requests that paragraph (k)(2) of
the final rule be changed to replace the reference to a Designated
Engineering Representative (DER) with references to a Boeing Authorized
Representative as a part of the Boeing Delegated Compliance
Organization with Delegated Option Authorization.
We agree with this request. Boeing has received a Delegation Option
Authorization (DOA). We have revised this final rule to delegate the
authority to approve an alternative method of compliance for any repair
required by this AD to the Authorized Representative for the Boeing DOA
Organization rather than the Designated Engineering Representative
(DER).
Conclusion
We have carefully reviewed the available data, including the
comments that have been submitted, and determined that air safety and
the public interest require adopting the AD with the change described
previously. We have determined that this change will neither increase
the economic burden on any operator nor increase the scope of the AD.
Costs of Compliance
There are about 390 Model 727-200 series airplanes of the affected
design in the worldwide fleet. The following table provides the
estimated costs for U.S. operators to comply with this AD.
Estimated Costs
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Number of U.S.-
Action Work hours Average labor Parts Cost per registered Fleet cost
rate per hour airplane airplanes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Detailed and HFEC Inspections, per 2 $65 None......................... $130 274 $35,620
inspection cycle.
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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.
We are 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
We have determined that 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;
(2) Is not a ``significant rule'' under DOT Regulatory Policies and
Procedures (44 FR 11034, February 26, 1979); and
(3) Will 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 regulatory evaluation of the estimated costs to
comply with this AD. See the ADDRESSES section for a location to
examine the regulatory evaluation.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39
Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by
reference, Safety.
Adoption of the Amendment
0
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 (AD):
2005-11-09 Boeing: Amendment 39-14111. Docket No. FAA-2004-19988;
Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-30-AD.
Effective Date
(a) This AD becomes effective July 12, 2005.
Affected ADs
(b) None.
Applicability
(c) This AD applies to Boeing Model 727-200 series airplanes,
equipped with a No. 3 cargo door, as identified in Boeing Special
Attention Service Bulletin 727-52-0149, dated October 16, 2003;
certificated in any category.
Unsafe Condition
(d) This AD was prompted by reports of cracking at the forward,
lower corner frame and lower beam of the No. 3 cargo door. We are
issuing this AD to detect and correct cracking of the forward, lower
corner frame and forward end of the lower beam of the No. 3 cargo
door, which could result in failure of the affected door stops, loss
of the cargo door, and consequent rapid decompression of the
airplane.
Compliance
(e) You are responsible for having the actions required by this
AD performed within the compliance times specified, unless the
actions have already been done.
Repetitive Detailed and High Frequency Eddy Current (HFEC) Inspections
(f) Do detailed and HFEC inspections for cracking of the
forward, lower corner frame and forward end of the lower beam of the
No. 3 cargo door by accomplishing all of the applicable actions
specified in the Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing Special
Attention Service Bulletin 727-52-0149, dated October 16, 2003. Do
the inspections at the times specified in the applicable table in
paragraph 1.E., ``Compliance,'' of the service bulletin, except as
required by paragraph (g) of this AD.
[[Page 32986]]
Repeat the inspections thereafter at intervals not to exceed 4,500
flight cycles. Doing the applicable actions in paragraph (h) or (j)
of this AD terminates the repetitive inspections.
(g) Where the service bulletin specified in paragraph (f) of
this AD provides a threshold relative to the release date of the
service bulletin, this AD requires compliance within the applicable
threshold following the effective date of this AD, if the ``total
airplane flight cycles'' or ``total replaced door flight cycles''
threshold has been exceeded.
Corrective Actions
(h) For airplanes on which cracking is found during any
inspection required by paragraph (f) of this AD: Before further
flight, do all of the applicable corrective actions specified in the
Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing Special Attention Service
Bulletin 727-52-0149, dated October 16, 2003. Repairing any affected
area terminates the repetitive inspections required by paragraph (f)
of this AD.
Parts Installation
(i) Any replacement No. 3 cargo door installed on any airplane
after the effective date of this AD must be inspected or modified in
accordance with either paragraph (i)(1) or (i)(2) of this AD, as
applicable.
(1) If the number of total flight cycles on the door can be
positively determined: Do the actions required by paragraphs (f) and
(h) of this AD, as applicable, or paragraph (j) of this AD. Do the
actions at the times specified in Table 2 of paragraph 1.E.,
``Compliance,'' of Boeing Special Attention Service Bulletin 727-52-
0149, dated October 16, 2003.
(2) If the number of total flight cycles on the door cannot be
positively determined: Do the actions required by paragraphs (f) and
(h) of this AD, as applicable, or paragraph (j) of this AD, before
installing the door.
Optional Terminating Action
(j) Concurrently with doing the inspection required by paragraph
(f) of this AD, if no cracking is found, doing the preventative
modification specified in paragraph 3.B.2. of the Accomplishment
Instructions of Boeing Special Attention Service Bulletin 727-52-
0149, dated October 16, 2003, terminates the repetitive inspections
required by paragraph (f) of this AD.
Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)
(k)(1) The Manager, Seattle Aircraft Certification Office (ACO),
FAA, has the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested
using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19.
(2) An AMOC that provides an acceptable level of safety may be
used for any repair for cracking required by this AD, if it is
approved by an Authorized Representative for the Boeing Delegated
Option Authorization Organization who has been authorized by the
Manager, Seattle ACO, to make such findings. For a repair method to
be approved, the repair must meet the certification basis of the
airplane, and the approval must specifically refer to this AD.
Material Incorporated by Reference
(l) You must use Boeing Special Attention Service Bulletin 727-
52-0149, dated October 16, 2003, to perform the actions that are
required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise. The Director
of the Federal Register approves the incorporation by reference of
this document in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
To get copies of the service information, contact Boeing Commercial
Airplanes, P.O. Box 3707, Seattle, Washington 98124-2207. To view
the AD docket, go to the Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department
of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street SW., room PL-401, Nassif
Building, Washington, DC. To review copies of the service
information, go to the National Archives and Records Administration
(NARA). For information on the availability of this material at
NARA, call (202) 741-6030, or go to http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html
.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on May 26, 2005.
Ali Bahrami,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 05-11055 Filed 6-6-05; 8:45 am]
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