[Federal Register: August 16, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 158)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 45968-45970]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16au07-24]
[[Page 45968]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2007-28988; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-047-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Boeing Model 747-400 and -400D Series
Airplanes
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD)
for certain Boeing Model 747-400 and -400D series airplanes. This
proposed AD would require installing new relays to allow the flightcrew
to turn off electrical power to the in-flight entertainment (IFE)
system and other non-essential passenger cabin systems through the left
and right utility bus switches, and other specified actions. This
proposed AD results from an IFE systems review. We are proposing this
AD to ensure that the flightcrew is able to turn off electrical power
to the IFE system and other non-essential passenger cabin systems
through utility bus switches in the flight compartment, in the event of
smoke or fumes. The flightcrew's inability to turn off electrical power
to the IFE system and other non-essential passenger cabin systems could
result in the inability to control smoke or fumes in the airplane
flight deck or passenger cabin during a non-normal or emergency
situation.
DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by October 1, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Use one of the following addresses 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: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
Fax: (202) 493-2251.
Hand Delivery: Room W12-140 on the ground floor of the
West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Contact Boeing Commercial Airplanes, P.O. Box 3707, Seattle,
Washington 98124-2207, for the service information identified in this
proposed AD.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shohreh Safarian, Aerospace Engineer,
Systems and Equipment Branch, ANM-130S, FAA, Seattle Aircraft
Certification Office, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 98057-
3356; telephone (425) 917-6418; fax (425) 917-6590.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
We invite you to submit any relevant written data, views, or
arguments regarding this proposed AD. Send your comments to an address
listed in the ADDRESSES section. Include the docket number ``FAA-2007-
28988; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-047-AD'' at the beginning of your
comments. We specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory,
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of the proposed AD. We will
consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend the
proposed AD in light of those 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 AD. Using the search function of
that Web site, anyone can find and read the comments in 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.). You may review 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.
Examining the Docket
You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov
, or in person at the Docket Operations office between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The
Docket Operations office (telephone (800) 647-5527) is located on the
ground floor of the West Building at the DOT street address stated in
the ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available in the AD docket
shortly after the Docket Management System receives them.
Discussion
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) completed a review of in-
flight entertainment (IFE) systems installed on transport category
airplanes. The review focused on the interface between the IFE system
and airplane electrical system, with the objective of determining if
any unsafe conditions exist with regard to the interface.
The type of IFE systems considered for review were those that
contain video monitors (cathode ray tubes or liquid crystal displays,
either hanging above the aisle or mounted on individual seat backs or
seat trays), or complex circuitry (i.e., power supplies, electronic
distribution boxes, extensive wire routing, relatively high power
consumption, multiple layers of circuit protection, etc.). In addition,
in-seat power supply systems that provide power to more than 20 percent
of the total passenger seats were also considered for the review. The
types of IFE systems not considered for review include systems that
provide only audio signals to each passenger seat, ordinary in-flight
telephone systems (e.g., one telephone handset per group of seats or
bulkhead-mounted telephones), systems that have only a video monitor on
the forward bulkhead(s) (or a projection system) to provide passengers
with basic airplane and flight information, and in-seat power supply
systems that provide power to less than 20 percent of the total
passenger seats.
Items considered during the review include the following:
Can the electrical bus(es) supplying power to the IFE
system be de-energized when necessary without removing power from
systems that may be required for continued safe flight and landing?
Can IFE system power be removed when required without
pulling IFE system circuit breakers (i.e., is there a switch (dedicated
to the IFE system or a combination of loads) located in the flight deck
or cabin that can be used to remove IFE power?
If the IFE system requires changes to flightcrew
procedures, has the airplane flight manual (AFM) been properly amended?
If the IFE system requires changes to cabin crew
procedures, have they been properly amended?
Does the IFE system require periodic or special
maintenance?
In all, we reviewed approximately 180 IFE systems. The review
results indicate that potential unsafe conditions exist on some IFE
systems installed on various transport category airplanes. These
conditions can be summarized as:
[[Page 45969]]
Electrical bus(es) supplying power to the IFE system
cannot be de-energized when necessary without removing power from
systems that may be required for continued safe flight and landing.
Power cannot be removed from the IFE system when required
without pulling IFE system circuit breakers (i.e., there is no switch
dedicated to the IFE system or combination of systems for the purpose
of removing power).
Installation of the IFE system has affected crew
(flightcrew and/or cabin crew) procedures, but the procedures have not
been properly revised.
Boeing has received numerous reports of smoke or flames in the
passenger cabin of Model 747-400 series airplanes. Investigation of
several of these reports revealed that the source of the smoke and
flames was the wiring for the passenger cabin IFE system, cabin
lighting, or passenger seats. Currently, the flightcrew is not able to
turn off power to the IFE system and other non-essential passenger
cabin systems through utility bus switches in the flight compartment,
in the event of smoke or fumes. The flightcrew's inability to turn off
electrical power to the IFE system and other non-essential passenger
cabin systems, if not corrected, could result in the inability to
control smoke or fumes in the airplane flight deck or passenger cabin
during a non-normal or emergency situation.
Relevant Service Information
We have reviewed Boeing Service Bulletin 747-24-2246, dated October
6, 2005. The service bulletin describes procedures for installing new
relays to allow the flightcrew to turn off electrical power to the IFE
system and other non-essential passenger cabin systems through the left
and right utility bus switches, and doing other specified actions. The
other specified actions include installing new wiring, rerouting
existing wiring, removing certain wiring, and testing the cabin
lighting, passenger IFE systems, and certain circuit breakers.
Accomplishing the actions specified in the service information is
intended to adequately address the unsafe condition.
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 airplanes
of this same type design. For this reason, we are proposing this AD,
which would require accomplishing the actions specified in the service
information described previously.
Costs of Compliance
There are about 490 airplanes of the affected design in the
worldwide fleet. This proposed AD would affect about 62 airplanes of
U.S. registry. The proposed actions would take about 123 work hours per
airplane, at an average labor rate of $80 per work hour. Required parts
would cost between $9,412 and $11,936 per airplane. Based on these
figures, the estimated cost of the proposed AD for U.S. operators is up
to $1,350,112, or up to $21,776 per airplane.
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 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. 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 proposed AD and placed it in the AD docket. 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, 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
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 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) amends Sec. 39.13 by
adding the following new airworthiness directive (AD):
BOEING: Docket No. FAA-2007-28988; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-
047-AD.
Comments Due Date
(a) The FAA must receive comments on this AD action by October
1, 2007.
Affected ADs
(b) None.
Applicability
(c) This AD applies to Boeing Model 747-400 and -400D series
airplanes, certificated in any category; as identified in Boeing
Service Bulletin 747-24-2246, dated October 6, 2005.
Unsafe Condition
(d) This AD results from an in-flight entertainment (IFE)
systems review. We are issuing this AD to ensure that the flightcrew
is able to turn off electrical power to the IFE system and other
non-essential passenger cabin systems through utility bus switches
in the flight compartment, in the event of smoke or fumes. The
flightcrew's inability to turn off electrical power to the IFE
system and other non-essential passenger cabin systems could result
in the inability to control smoke or fumes in the airplane flight
deck or passenger cabin during a non-normal or emergency situation.
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.
Install New Relays
(f) Within 60 months after the effective date of this AD,
install new relays to allow the flightcrew to turn off electrical
power to the IFE system and other non-essential passenger cabin
systems through the left and right utility bus switches and do all
other specified actions as applicable, by accomplishing all the
applicable actions specified in the Accomplishment Instructions of
Boeing Service Bulletin 747-24-2246, dated October 6, 2005. The
other specified actions must be done before further flight after
installing the new relays.
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Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)
(g)(1) The Manager, Seattle Aircraft Certification Office, FAA,
has the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested in
accordance with the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19.
(2) To request a different method of compliance or a different
compliance time for this AD, follow the procedures in 14 CFR 39.19.
Before using any approved AMOC on any airplane to which the AMOC
applies, notify your appropriate principal inspector (PI) in the FAA
Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), or lacking a PI, your local
FSDO.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on July 30, 2007.
Ali Bahrami,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. E7-16115 Filed 8-15-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P