FR Doc E8-4005

[Federal Register: March 3, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 42)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 11369-11371]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03mr08-18]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2008-0247; Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-003-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Air Tractor, Inc. AT-200, AT-300, AT-
400, AT-500, AT-600, AT-800 Series Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We propose to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2002-25-
09, which applies to certain Air Tractor, Inc. (Air Tractor) AT-250,
AT-300, AT-400, and AT-500 series airplanes. AD 2002-25-09 currently
requires you to install an overturn skid plate in the cockpit area.
Since we issued AD 2002-25-09, we received a report of the bolts
attaching the forward end of the original design overturn skid plate to
the airframe breaking in an overturn accident. This allowed the skid
plate to rotate around the rear attach point and the forward end of the
plate to enter the cockpit area. Consequently, this proposed AD would
require the installation of a modified skid plate kit or modification
to skid plate kits that are already installed, including those already
installed on AT-402B, AT-502B, AT-602, and AT-802A series airplanes
during production. We are proposing this AD to prevent the front and
rear connections of the overturn skid plate to the airplane from
breaking, which could allow foreign debris to enter the cockpit during
an airplane overturn. This condition, if not corrected, could lead to
pilot injury.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by May 2, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Use one of the following addresses to comment on this
proposed AD:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://
www.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: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
For service information identified in this proposed AD, contact Air
Tractor Inc., P.O. Box 485, Olney, Texas 76374; telephone: (940) 564-
5616; fax: (940) 564-5612.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andy McAnaul, Aerospace Engineer, ASW-
150, FAA San Antonio MIDO-43, 10100 Reunion Place, Suite 650, San
Antonio, Texas 78216, phone: (210) 308-3365, fax: (210) 308-3370.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or
arguments

[[Page 11370]]

regarding this proposed AD. Send your comments to an address listed
under the ADDRESSES section. Include the docket number, ``FAA-2008-
0247; Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-003-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://
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. We
will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact we
receive concerning this proposed AD.

Discussion

Reports of foreign material entering the cabin area during an
overturn skid on Air Tractor, Inc. (Air Tractor) AT-301 and AT-401
series airplanes caused us to issue AD 2002-25-09, Amendment 39-12985
(67 FR 78156, December 23, 2002). AD 2002-25-09 currently requires you
to install overturn skid plate, part number (P/N) 11411-1-500 or an
FAA-approved equivalent P/N. The manufacturer incorporated skid plates
in some production models including Models AT-402B, AT-502B, AT-602,
and AT-802A airplanes. Since we issued AD 2002-25-09, we received a
report of the bolts breaking in an overturn accident where they attach
the forward end of the original design overturn skid plate to the
airframe. This allowed the skid plate to rotate around the rear attach
point and the forward end of the plate to enter the cockpit area. We
are proposing this AD to prevent the front and rear connections of the
overturn skid plate to the airplane from breaking, which could allow
foreign debris to enter the cockpit during an airplane overturn. This
condition, if not corrected, could lead to pilot injury.

Relevant Service Information

We have reviewed Snow Engineering Company Service Letter
97, Revised November 7, 2007.
The service information describes procedures for:
Modifying the overturn skid plate by enlarging the
mounting holes and replacing existing clamps and hardware on airplanes
with the overturn skid plate installed; and
Installing the overturn skid plate for airplanes that do
not have the overturn skid plate currently installed.

FAA's Determination and Requirements of the Proposed AD

We are proposing this AD because we evaluated all information and
determined the unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist
or develop on other products of the same type design. This proposed AD
would supersede AD 2002-25-09 with a new AD that would require:
For airplanes with an installation previously accomplished
per the original AD: incorporating modification kit part-number (P/N)
11411-1-501 composed of the heavier attaching hardware; and
For airplanes without the overturn skid plate installed:
incorporating kit P/N 11411-1-502, which incorporates the skid plate
and the heavier attaching hardware.
The airplanes below include all of the airplanes from the original
AD, which did not have the factory-installed skid plate:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Models Serial Nos.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AT-250, AT-300, AT-301, AT-302, AT-400, AT- -0001 through -0829.
400A, AT-401, AT-401A, AT-402, and AT-
402A.
AT-501, AT-502, AT-502A................... -0001 through -0147.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The airplanes in the table below have been added to this proposed
AD. They have a factory-installed skid plate and require installation
of the overturn skid plate modification kit part number 1411-1-501:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Models Serial Nos.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AT-250, AT-300, AT-301, AT-302, AT-400, AT- -0830 through -1196.
400A, AT-401, AT-401A, AT-402, AT-402A
and AT-402B.
AT-501, AT-502, AT-502A, and AT-502B...... -0148 through -2620.
AT-602.................................... -0337 through -1153.
AT-802A................................... -0003 through -0282.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Costs of Compliance

We estimate that this proposed AD would affect 2,026 airplanes in
the U.S. registry.
We presume that all airplanes in the U.S. fleet have a skid plate
installed (as required by AD 2002-25-09) and the only cost is to
incorporate the modification kit P/N 11411-1-501 in determining the
total cost on U.S. operators. We estimate the following costs to do the
proposed modification of installing the overturn skid plate
modification kit P/N 11411-1-501 to those planes that currently have
the overturn skid plate installed:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total cost per Total cost on
Labor cost Parts cost airplane U.S. operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 work-hours x $80 per hour = $160........................... $42 $202 $409,252
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The proposed AD includes a requirement for those few, if any,
airplanes that have not operated past the compliance time of AD 2002-
25-09.

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:

[[Page 11371]]

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.

Examining the AD Docket

You may examine the AD docket that contains the proposed AD, the
regulatory evaluation, any comments received, and other information on
the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov; or in person at the Docket
Management Facility between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays. The Docket Office (telephone (800) 647-5527)
is located at the street address stated in the ADDRESSES section.
Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.

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 FAA amends Sec. 39.13 by removing Airworthiness Directive
(AD) 2002-25-09, Amendment 39-12985 (67 FR 78156, December 23, 2002),
and adding the following new AD:

Air Tractor, Inc.: Docket No. FAA-2008-0247; Directorate Identifier
2008-CE-003-AD.

Comments Due Date

(a) We must receive comments on this airworthiness directive
(AD) action by May 2, 2008.

Affected ADs

(b) This AD supersedes AD 2002-25-09, Amendment 39-12985.

Applicability

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Models Serial Nos.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AT-250, AT-300, AT-301, AT-302, AT-400, AT- -0001 through -1196.
400A, AT-401, AT-401A, AT-402, AT-402A
and AT-402B.
AT-501, AT-502, AT-502A, and AT-502B...... -0001 through -2620.
AT-602.................................... -0337 through -1153.
AT-802A................................... -0003 through -0282.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unsafe Condition

(d) Since we issued AD 2002-25-09, we received a report of the
bolts that attach the forward end of the original design overturn
skid plate to the airframe breaking in an overturn accident. This
allowed the skid plate to rotate around the rear attach point, and
the forward end of the plate to enter the cockpit area. We are
proposing this AD to prevent the front and rear connections of the
overturn skid plate to the airplane from breaking, which could allow
foreign debris to enter the cockpit during an airplane overturn.
This condition, if not corrected, could lead to pilot injury.

Compliance

(e) To address this problem, you must do the following, unless
already done:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actions Compliance Procedures
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) If overturn skid plate Within the next 180 Follow Snow
kit part number (P/N) 11411- days after the Engineering Co.
1-500 or an FAA-approved effective date of Service Letter
equivalent P/N is already this AD. 97,
installed, then install P/N revised November 7,
11411-1-501 modification 2007.
kit.
(2) If there is no overturn Within the next 180 Follow Snow
skid plate installed, then days after the Engineering Co.
install overturn skid plate effective date of Service Letter
kit P/N 11411-1-502 or an this AD. 97,
FAA-approved equivalent revised November 7,
part number. 2007.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

(f) The Manager, Fort Worth Airplane Certification Office, FAA,
has the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using
the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. Send information to ATTN: Andy
McAnaul, Aerospace Engineer, ASW-150, FAA San Antonio MIDO-43, 10100
Reunion Place, Suite 650, San Antonio, Texas 78216, phone: (210)
308-3365; fax: (210) 308-3370. 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.

Related Information

(g) To get copies of the service information referenced in this
AD, contact Air Tractor Inc., P.O. Box 485, Olney, Texas 76374;
telephone: (940) 564-5616; fax: (940) 564-5612. To view the AD
docket, go to U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations,
M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, or on the Internet at http://
www.regulations.gov.

Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on February 26, 2008.
James E. Jackson,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. E8-4005 Filed 2-29-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-13-P