[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 214 (Friday, November 5, 2010)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 68246-68249]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-28092]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2010-1044; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-033-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; McDonnell Douglas Corporation Model DC-
10-10, DC-10-10F, DC-10-15, DC-10-30, DC-10-30F (KC-10A and KDC-10),
DC-10-40, DC-10-40F; Model MD-10-10F, MD-10-30F, MD-11, and MD-11F
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 supersede an existing airworthiness
directive (AD) that applies to all Model DC-10-10, DC-10-10F, DC-10-15,
DC-10-30, DC-10-30F (KC-10A and KDC-10), DC-10-40, DC-10-40F, MD-10-
10F, MD-10-30F, MD-11, and MD-11F airplanes. The existing AD currently
requires an inspection to determine if a certain fuel pump housing
electrical connector is installed. The existing AD also requires a
revision to the FAA-approved airplane flight manual (AFM) to advise the
flightcrew of the appropriate procedures for disabling certain fuel
pump electrical circuits following failure of a fuel pump housing
electrical connector if applicable. The existing AD also requires the
deactivation of certain fuel tanks or fuel pumps and the installation
of placards if applicable. The existing AD allows the optional
replacement of the fuel pump housing electrical connectors with new,
improved parts, which would
[[Page 68247]]
terminate the AFM revisions, deactivation of certain fuel tanks and
fuel pumps, and placard installation. This proposed AD would instead
require replacing the fuel pump housing electrical connector assembly
with a new part and doing repetitive inspections for continuity,
resistance, and insulation resistance, and doing corrective actions if
necessary. This proposed AD results from reports of failures of a
certain fuel pump housing electrical connector. We are proposing this
AD to detect and correct insulation resistance degradation and arcing
in the potted backside of the electrical connector assembly of the fuel
boost/transfer pump housing, which could compromise its performance and
cause an ignition source in the fuel tank, resulting in a fuel tank
explosion and consequent loss of the airplane.
DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by December 20,
2010.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments by any of the following methods:
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
Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Attention: Data & Services Management,
3855 Lakewood Boulevard, MC D800-0019, Long Beach, California 90846-
0001; telephone 206-544-5000, extension 2; fax 206-766-5683; e-mail
[email protected]; Internet https://www.myboeingfleet.com. You may
review copies of the referenced service information at the FAA,
Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton,
Washington. For information on the availability of this material at the
FAA, call 425-227-1221.
Examining the AD Docket
You may examine the AD docket 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 AD docket contains this proposed AD, the regulatory
evaluation, any comments received, and other information. The street
address for the Docket Office (telephone 800-647-5527) is in the
ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available in the AD docket shortly
after receipt.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Philip Kush, Aerospace Engineer,
Propulsion Branch, ANM-140L, FAA, Los Angeles Aircraft Certification
Office, 3960 Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood, California 90712-4137;
telephone (562) 627-5263; fax (562) 627-5210.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or
arguments about this proposed AD. Send your comments to an address
listed under the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2010-1044;
Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-033-AD'' at the beginning of your
comments. We specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory,
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this proposed AD. We
will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend
this proposed AD because 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 about this proposed AD.
Discussion
On July 13, 2007, we issued AD 2007-15-05, Amendment 39-15134 (72
FR 40216, July 24, 2007), for all Model DC-10-10, DC-10-10F, DC-10-15,
DC-10-30, DC-10-30F (KC-10A and KDC-10), DC-10-40, DC-10-40F, MD-10-
10F, MD-10-30F, MD-11, and MD-11F airplanes. That AD requires an
inspection to determine if a certain fuel pump housing electrical
connector is installed, and a revision to the FAA-approved airplane
flight manual (AFM) to advise the flightcrew of the appropriate
procedures for disabling certain fuel pump electrical circuits
following failure of a fuel pump housing electrical connector if
applicable. That AD also requires the deactivation of certain fuel
tanks or fuel pumps and the installation of placards if applicable.
That AD allows the optional replacement of the fuel pump housing
electrical connectors with new, improved parts, which would terminate
the AFM revisions, deactivation of certain fuel tanks and fuel pumps,
and placard installation. That AD resulted from a report of two
failures of the fuel pump housing electrical connector. We issued that
AD to prevent continued arcing following a short circuit of the fuel
pump housing electrical connector, which could damage the conduit that
protects the power lead inside the fuel tank; this condition could
create an ignition source inside the fuel tank, which, in combination
with flammable fuel vapors, could result in a fuel tank explosion and
consequent loss of the airplane.
Actions Since Existing AD Was Issued
Since we issued AD 2007-15-05, operators have reported failures of
fuel pump housing electrical connector assemblies having part number
(P/N) 60-84355-1. The installation of P/N 60-84355-1 was required in AD
2007-15-05, but due to reported failures of that part, it needs to be
replaced with a new fuel pump housing electrical connector assembly
having part number (P/N) 60-84351. Inspecting the fuel boost/transfer
pump housing electrical connector assembly and fuel boost/transfer
pump, and replacing any fuel pump electrical connector assembly having
P/N 60-84355-1 with one having P/N 60-84351, as required based on
inspection results, will minimize the possibility of a potential
ignition source in the fuel tanks and potential fuel tank explosion. If
not corrected, insulation resistance degradation and arcing in the
potted backside of the electrical connector assembly of the fuel boost/
transfer pump housing could compromise the performance of the
electrical connector assembly of the fuel boost/transfer pump housing
and result in a failure that could introduce an ignition source into
the fuel tank and cause a fuel tank explosion. The requirements of AD
2007-15-05 do not adequately address the identified unsafe condition.
Relevant Service Information
We have reviewed Boeing Alert Service Bulletin MD11-28A143, dated
December 2, 2009; and Boeing Alert Service Bulletin DC10-28A261, dated
December 1, 2009. The service bulletins describe procedures for
replacing the fuel pump housing electrical connector assembly having P/
N 60-84355-1 with new or serviceable fuel pump housing electrical
connector assembly having P/N 60-84351; and doing repetitive
inspections for continuity, resistance, and insulation resistance; and
doing corrective actions if necessary. Corrective actions include
replacing the fuel boost/transfer pump and replacing
[[Page 68248]]
any fuel pump electrical connector assembly having P/N 60-84355-1 with
one having P/N 60-84351.
Explanation of Change to This Proposed AD
We have removed the ``Service Bulletin Reference'' paragraph from
this proposed AD. That paragraph was identified as paragraph (f) in the
existing AD. Instead, we have provided the full service bulletin
citations throughout this proposed AD. We have re-identified the
paragraphs accordingly.
FAA's Determination and Requirements of the Proposed AD
We have evaluated all pertinent information and identified an
unsafe condition that is likely to develop on other airplanes of the
same type design. For this reason, we are proposing this AD, which
would supersede AD 2007-15-05. This proposed AD would instead require
accomplishing the actions described previously in accordance with
Boeing Alert Service Bulletin MD11-28A143, dated December 2, 2009; and
Boeing Alert Service Bulletin DC10-28A261, dated December 1, 2009.
Costs of Compliance
There are about 281 airplanes of the affected design in the
worldwide fleet. The following table provides the estimated costs for
U.S. operators to comply with this proposed AD.
Estimated Costs
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Number of U.S.-
Action Work hours Average labor Parts Cost per airplane registered Fleet cost
rate per hour airplanes
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Inspection...................... Between 20 and 36 $85 $0...................... Between $1,700 and 281 Between $477,700
per inspection $3,060 per and $859,860 per
cycle. inspection cycle. inspection cycle.
Replacement..................... Up to 44........... 85 Up to $4,478............ Up to $8,218....... 281 Up to $2,309,258.
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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 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, Incorporation by
reference, 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 amendment 39-15134 (72 FR
40216, July 24, 2007) and adding the following new AD:
McDonnell Douglas Corporation: Docket No. FAA-2010-1044; Directorate
Identifier 2010-NM-033-AD.
Comments Due Date
(a) The FAA must receive comments on this AD action by December
20, 2010.
Affected ADs
(b) This AD supersedes AD 2007-15-05, Amendment 39-15134.
Applicability
(c) This AD applies to all McDonnell Douglas Corporation Model
DC-10-10, DC-10-10F, DC-10-15, DC-10-30, DC-10-30F (KC-10A and KDC-
10), DC-10-40, DC-10-40F, MD-10-10F, MD-10-30F, MD-11, and MD-11F
airplanes, certificated in any category.
Subject
(d) Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 28: Fuel.
Unsafe Condition
(e) This AD results from reports of failures of the fuel pump
housing electrical connector. The Federal Aviation Administration is
issuing this AD to detect and correct insulation resistance
degradation and arcing in the potted backside of the electrical
connector assembly of the fuel boost/transfer pump housing, which
could compromise its performance and cause an ignition source in the
fuel tank, resulting in a fuel tank explosion and consequent loss of
the airplane.
Compliance
(f) You are responsible for having the actions required by this
AD performed within the compliance times specified, unless the
actions have already been done.
Inspection and Change
(g) Within 10 months after the effective date of this AD, do the
actions in paragraph (g)(1) or (g)(2) of this AD, in accordance with
the Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing Alert Service Bulletin
DC10-28A261, dated December 1, 2009; or Boeing Alert Service
Bulletin MD11-28A143, dated December 2, 2009; as applicable.
[[Page 68249]]
(1) Replace the fuel pump electrical connector assembly having
part number (P/N) 60-84355-1 with new P/N 60-84351; or
(2) Do the actions required by paragraphs (g)(2)(i) and
(g)(2)(ii) of this AD.
(i) Using a digital multi-meter, do a continuity, resistance,
and insulation resistance inspection from the terminal strip through
the fuel boost/transfer pump; and all applicable corrective actions
specified in the service bulletin. Do all applicable corrective
actions before further flight.
(ii) Except as required by paragraph (i) of this AD, within 12
months after accomplishing the inspection required by paragraph
(g)(2)(i) of this AD: Replace the fuel pump electrical connector
assembly having part number (P/N) 60-84355-1 with a new fuel pump
electrical connector assembly having P/N 60-84351.
(h) Before further flight after installing the new fuel pump
electrical connector assembly, insert the applicable Interim
Operating Procedure regarding abnormal operations for failure of the
fuel pump housing electrical connector into the Procedures section
of the applicable airplane flight manual, in accordance with the
applicable bulletin identified in Table 1 of this AD.
Table 1--Bulletins
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Bulletin-- Dated-- To the--
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Boeing DC-10 Operations Bulletin January 25, 2010.... Boeing DC-10 Flight Crew Operating Manual (FCOM).
2-001B.
Boeing MD-10 FCOM Advisory January 25, 2010.... Boeing MD-10 FCOM.
Bulletin 2-01B.
Boeing MD-11 FCOM Advisory January 25, 2010.... Boeing MD-11 FCOM.
Bulletin 2-05C.
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Repetitive Inspections
(i) Within 18 months after replacing the fuel pump electrical
connector assembly as required by paragraph (g) of this AD, do a
continuity, resistance, and insulation resistance inspection from
the terminal strip through the fuel boost/transfer pump, in
accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing Alert
Service Bulletin DC10-28A261, dated December 1, 2009; or Boeing
Alert Service Bulletin MD11-28A143, dated December 2, 2009; as
applicable. Do all applicable corrective actions before further
flight in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing
Alert Service Bulletin DC10-28A261, dated December 1, 2009; or
Boeing Alert Service Bulletin MD11-28A143, dated December 2, 2009;
as applicable. Repeat the inspections thereafter at intervals not to
exceed 18 months.
Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)
(j)(1) The Manager, Los Angeles 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. Send
information to ATTN: Philip Kush, Aerospace Engineer, Propulsion
Branch, ANM-140L, FAA, Los Angeles Aircraft Certification Office,
3960 Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood, California 90712-4137; telephone
(562) 627-5263; fax (562) 627-5210.
(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 principal maintenance inspector (PMI) or
principal avionics inspector (PAI), as appropriate, or lacking a
principal inspector, your local Flight Standards District Office.
The AMOC approval letter must specifically reference this AD.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on October 21, 2010.
Michael Kaszycki,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-28092 Filed 11-4-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P