[Federal Register: February 9, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 26)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 6782-6786]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09fe05-12]
========================================================================
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.
========================================================================
[[Page 6782]]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2004-19960; Directorate Identifier 2004-CE-47-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; The New Piper Aircraft, Inc. PA-34
Series Airplanes
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 93-
24-14, which applies to all The New Piper Aircraft, Inc. (Piper) PA-34
series airplanes. AD 93-24-14 currently requires you to repetitively
replace the bolt and stack up that connect the upper drag link to the
nose gear trunnion. This proposed AD is the result of many service
difficulty reports related to the collapse or inadvertent retraction of
the nose landing gear (NLG). Consequently, this proposed AD would
retain the actions required in AD 93-24-14 until the actions of the
proposed AD would begin, require you to inspect the NLG and components
of the NLG using new procedures for rigging the nose gear installation,
and require you to replace unserviceable parts. We are also issuing
this proposed AD to detect, correct, and prevent future failure in
certain components of the NLG, lack of cleanliness of the NLG due to
inadequate maintenance, or lack of lubricant in the NLG or NLG
components. This failure of the NLG could lead to loss of control of
the airplane during take-off, landing, or taxiing operations.
DATES: We must receive any comments on this proposed AD by April 11,
2005.
ADDRESSES: Use one of the following to submit comments on this proposed
AD:
DOT Docket Web site: Go to http://dms.dot.gov and follow
the instructions for sending your comments electronically.
Government-wide rulemaking Web site: Go to http://www.regulations.gov
and follow the instructions for sending your
comments electronically.
Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401,
Washington, DC 20590-001.
Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
Hand Delivery: Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the
Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC, between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
To get the service information identified in this proposed AD,
contact The New Piper Aircraft, Inc., 2926 Piper Drive, Vero Beach,
Florida, 32960.
To view the comments to this proposed AD, go to http://dms.dot.gov.
This is docket number FAA-2004-19960.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hassan Amini, Aerospace Engineer, FAA,
Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office, One Crown Center, 1895 Phoenix
Boulevard, Suite 450, Atlanta, Georgia 30349; telephone: (770) 703-
6080; facsimile: (770) 703-6097.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
How do I comment on this proposed AD? 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 the
docket number, ``FAA-2004-19960; Directorate Identifier 2004-CE-47-AD''
at the beginning of your comments. We will post all comments we
receive, without change, to http://dms.dot.gov, including any personal
information you provide. We will also post a report summarizing each
substantive verbal contact with FAA personnel concerning this proposed
rulemaking. Using the search function of our docket web site, anyone
can find and read the comments received into any of our dockets,
including the name of the individual who sent the comment (or signed
the comment on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.).
This is docket number FAA-2004-19960. You may review the DOT's complete
Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11,
2000 (65 FR 19477-78) or you may visit http://dms.dot.gov.
Are there any specific portions of this proposed AD I should pay
attention to? We specifically invite comments on the overall
regulatory, economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this
proposed AD. If you contact us through a nonwritten communication 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 this
proposed AD in light of those comments and contacts.
Docket Information
Where can I go to view the docket information? You may view the AD
docket that contains the proposal, any comments received, and any final
disposition in person at the DMS Docket Offices between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m. (eastern standard time), Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. The Docket Office (telephone 1-800-647-5227) is located on
the plaza level of the Department of Transportation NASSIF Building at
the street address stated in ADDRESSES. You may also view the AD docket
on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov. The comments will be available
in the AD docket shortly after the DMS receives them.
Discussion
Has FAA taken any action to this point? Several incidents where the
nose landing gear (NLG) on The New Piper Aircraft, Inc. (Piper) PA-34
series airplanes collapsed caused us to issue AD 93-24-14, Amendment
39-8762 (58 FR 65115, December 13, 1993). AD 93-24-14 currently
requires the repetitive replacement of the bolt and stack up that
connect the upper drag link to the nose gear trunnion on all Piper PA-
34 series airplanes.
What has happened since AD 93-24-14 to initiate this proposed
action? The FAA has received 188 service difficulty reports (SDRs)
related to the NLG on Piper PA-34 series airplanes. There are 72 SDRs
that describe the collapse or inadvertent retraction of the NLG.
A review of the SDRs related to the NLG and the collapse or
inadvertent retraction of the NLG found that one or more of the
following conditions could result in collapse of the NLG:
[[Page 6783]]
--nose gear steering control excessive travel and the disengagement of
the tiller roller;
--failure or out of tolerances of the retraction links and bolts;
--crack(s) in the nose gear trunnion;
--failure of the nose gear upper drag link attach bolt;
--failure of the nose gear retraction link retention spring;
--out of rig and failure of the nose gear down lock link assembly;
--failure of the nose gear actuator mounting bracket and its
attachments;
--failure of the attachment of the retraction link to the actuator
mounting bracket;
--lack of lubricant in the NLG or NLG components; or
--lack of cleanliness of the NLG or the NLG components.
The exact cause of the collapse or inadvertent retraction of the
NLG cannot be determined.
Consequently, Piper took the following actions to prevent future
failure of the NLG:
--modified certain components to improve their long-term service life;
--corrected and clarified the rigging procedures for the nose gear
installation; and
--revised the periodic inspection requirements of the applicable
maintenance manuals.
What is the potential impact if FAA took no action? Failure in
certain components of the NLG, a lack of cleanliness of the NLG, or a
lack of lubricant in the NLG or the NLG components could result in
failure of the NLG. This failure of the NLG could lead to loss of
control of the airplane during take-off, landing, or taxiing
operations.
Is there service information that applies to this subject? The New
Piper Aircraft, Inc. has issued Service Bulletin No. 1123A, dated
November 30, 2004.
What are the provisions of this service information? The service
bulletin includes procedures for:
--inspecting the NLG and the NLG components;
--rigging of the nose gear installation; and
--replacing older parts of the NLG with new modified parts having
improved service life.
FAA's Determination and Requirements of This Proposed AD
What has FAA decided? 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. For this reason, we are
proposing AD action.
What would this proposed AD require? This proposed AD would
supersede AD 93-24-14 with a new AD that would incorporate the actions
in Piper Service Bulletin No. 1123A, dated November 30, 2004.
How does the revision to 14 CFR part 39 affect this proposed AD? On
July 10, 2002, we published a new version of 14 CFR part 39 (67 FR
47997, July 22, 2002), which governs FAA's AD system. This regulation
now includes material that relates to altered products, special flight
permits, and alternative methods of compliance. This material
previously was included in each individual AD. Since this material is
included in 14 CFR part 39, we will not include it in future AD
actions.
Costs of Compliance
How many airplanes would this proposed AD impact? We estimate that
this proposed AD affects 2,047 airplanes in the U.S. registry.
What would be the cost impact of this proposed AD on owners/
operators of the affected airplanes? We estimate the following costs to
do the proposed inspections and the rigging of the nose gear
installation:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total cost per
Labor cost Parts cost airplane Total cost on U.S. operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9 workhours x $65 per hour = No cost for parts.. $585 2,047 x $585 = $1,197,495.
$585.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We estimate the following costs to do all the necessary
replacements that would be required based on the results of this
proposed inspection. We have no way of determining the number of
airplanes that may need these replacements:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Labor cost Parts cost Total cost per airplane
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
44 workhours x $65 per hour = $2,860. $920 (only if cracks or $2,860 + $920 = $3,780.
damage found in the NLG).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is the difference between the cost impact of this proposed AD
and the cost impact of AD 93-24-14? The cost estimate in 1993 was for
approximately 1,893 airplanes on the U.S. Registry and the cost
estimate for the proposed AD is approximately 2,047 airplanes on the
U.S. Registry. Therefore, there is an initial cost difference of
$81,158 (154 airplanes x $527 per airplane) between that originally
calculated in 1993 and what is proposed now. The difference of 154
airplanes could be attributed to the following:
--additional airplanes manufactured since 1993;
--additional airplanes brought into the United States and added to the
U.S. Registry; and
--improved tools for calculating the number of U.S. registered aircraft
in 2004/2005 compared to 1993.
Additionally, there are the costs of doing any necessary
replacements based on the results of the proposed inspections.
Authority for This Rulemaking
What authority does FAA have for issuing this rulemaking action?
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 AD.
Regulatory Findings
Would this proposed AD impact various entities? We have determined
that this proposed AD would not have
[[Page 6784]]
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.
Would this proposed AD involve a significant rule or regulatory
action? For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this proposed
AD:
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. 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 summary of the costs to comply with this proposed AD
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. 2004-CE-47-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 removing Airworthiness Directive
(AD) 93-24-14, Amendment 39-8762 (58 FR 65115, December 13, 1993), and
by adding a new AD to read as follows:
The New Piper Aircraft, Inc.: Docket No. FAA-2004-19960; Directorate
Identifier 2004-CE-47-AD.
When Is the Last Date I Can Submit Comments on This Proposed AD?
(a) We must receive comments on this proposed airworthiness
directive (AD) by April 11, 2005.
What Other ADs Are Affected by This Action?
(b) This AD supersedes AD 93-24-14, Amendment 39-8762.
What Airplanes Are Affected by This AD?
(c) This AD affects Models PA-34-200, PA-34-200T, and PA-34-220T
airplanes, all serial numbers, that are certificated in any
category.
What Is the Unsafe Condition Presented in This AD?
(d) This AD is the result of service difficulty reports related
to the collapse or inadvertent retraction of the nose landing gear
(NLG). The actions specified in this AD are intended to detect,
correct, and prevent future failure in certain components of the
NLG, lack of cleanliness of the NLG due to inadequate maintenance,
or lack of lubricant in the NLG or NLG components. This failure of
the NLG could lead to loss of control of the airplane during take-
off, landing, or taxiing operations.
What Must I Do To Address This Problem?
(e) To address this problem, you must do the following:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actions Compliance Procedures
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Replace the bolt and Within the next 100 Follow Figure 1 of
stack up that connects the hours time-in- this AD.
upper drag link to the nose service (TIS) after
gear trunnion with new January 28, 1994
parts of the following: (the effective date
(i) Piper part number (P/N) of AD 93-24-14),
400 274 (AN7-35) bolt;. unless already done
(ii) Piper P/N 407 591 within the last 400
(AN960-716L) washer, as hours TIS before
applicable;. January 28, 1994
(iii) Piper P/N 407 568 (compliance with AD
(AN960-716);. 93-24-14).
(iv) Piper P/N 404 396 Repetitively
(AN320-7) nut; and. replace thereafter
(v) Piper P/N 424 085 cotter at intervals not to
pin.. exceed 500 hours
TIS. Continue to
repetitiveely
replace until the
actions in
paragraph (e)(2)
and (e)(3) of this
AD begin.
-----------------------------
(2) Do the inspections, Within the next 100 Follow The New Piper
replacements, and other hours TIS after the Aircraft, Inc.
corrective actions effective date of Service Bulletin
specified in Table 1 this AD, unless No. 1123A, dated
``Specified Maintenance'' already done, November 30, 2004.
of Piper Service Bulletin Repetitively
No. 1123A, dated November inspect thereafter
30, 2004. at the intervals
referenced in the
Inspection Time
column of the
INSTRUCTIONS
paragraph in Piper
Service Bulletin
No. 1123A, dated
November 30, 2004.
-----------------------------
(3) Do any necessary Before further Follow The New Piper
corrective actions as a flight after any Aircraft, Inc.
result of the actions action required by Service Bulletin
specified in Table 1 paragraph (e)(2) of No. 1123A, dated
``Specified Maintenance'' this AD. November 30, 2004.
of Piper Service Bulletin
No. 1123A, dated November
30, 2004.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
[[Page 6785]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP09FE05.012
BILLING CODE 4910-13-C
[[Page 6786]]
Note 1: Paragraph 2. Modified Components of the INSTRUCTIONS
section of The New Piper Aircraft, Inc. Service Bulletin No. 1123A,
dated November 30, 2004, specifies modified parts that you may
install for improved service life.
Note 2: The Actions column of the table in paragraph (e) of this
AD may include one or a combination of these actions: replacement,
repair, adjustment, alignment, cleaning, lubricating, or other
action.
May I Request an Alternative Method of Compliance?
(f) You may request a different method of compliance or a
different compliance time for this AD by following the procedures in
14 CFR 39.19. Unless FAA authorizes otherwise, send your request to
your principal inspector. The principal inspector may add comments
and will send your request to the Manager, Aircraft Certification
Office (ACO), FAA. For information on any already approved
alternative methods of compliance, contact Hassan Amini, Aerospace
Engineer, FAA, Atlanta ACO, One Crown Center, 1895 Phoenix
Boulevard, Suite 450, Atlanta, Georgia 30349; telephone: (770) 703-
6080; facsimile: (770) 703-6097.
May I Get Copies of the Documents Referenced in This AD?
(g) To get copies of the documents referenced in this AD,
contact The New Piper Aircraft, Inc., 2926 Piper Drive, Vero Beach,
Florida, 32960. To view the AD docket, go to the Docket Management
Facility; U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street,
SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, Washington, DC, or on the
Internet at http://dms.dot.gov. The docket number is FAA-2004-19960.
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on February 1, 2005.
Nancy C. Lane,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 05-2374 Filed 2-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P