Airworthiness Directives; Pilatus Britten-Norman Limited BN-2 and BN2A Mk. III Series Airplanes

[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 241 (Monday, December 16, 2002)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 76982-76984]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-31394]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 2002-CE-35-AD; Amendment 39-12980; AD 2002-25-05]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Pilatus Britten-Norman Limited BN-2 and 
BN2A Mk. III Series Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) that 
applies to all Pilatus Britten-Norman (Pilatus Britten-Norman) Limited 
BN-2 and BN2A Mk. III series airplanes. This AD requires you to inspect 
the universal joints on the pilot's and co-pilot's control column to 
determine the diameter of the shaft and replace any universal joint 
that is the wrong size. This AD is the result of mandatory continuing 
airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the airworthiness authority 
for the United Kingdom. The actions specified by this AD are intended 
to correct the installation of universal joints that have the wrong-
sized shaft, which could result in failure of the pilot's and/or co-
pilot's control column. Such failure could lead to loss of control of 
the airplane.

DATES: This AD becomes effective on February 3, 2003.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference

[[Page 76983]]

of certain publications listed in the regulations as of February 3, 
2003.

ADDRESSES: You may get the service information referenced in this AD 
from B-N Group Limited, Bembridge, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom PO35 
5PR; telephone: +44 (0) 1983 872511; facsimile: +44 (0) 1983 873246. 
You may view this information at the Federal Aviation Administration 
(FAA), Central Region, Office of the Regional Counsel, Attention: Rules 
Docket No. 2002-CE-35-AD, 901 Locust, Room 506, Kansas City, Missouri 
64106; or at the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol 
Street, NW., suite 700, Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doug Rudolph, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, 
Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 
64106; telephone: (816) 329-4059; facsimile: (816) 329-4090.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

What Events Have Caused This AD?

    The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which is the airworthiness 
authority for the United Kingdom, recently notified FAA that an unsafe 
condition may exist on all Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2 and BN2A Mk. III 
series airplanes. The CAA reports that, during maintenance on one of 
the affected airplanes, an undersized universal joint was found. This 
installation of undersized universal joints is the result of a quality 
control problem.

What Is the Potential Impact if FAA Took No Action?

    This condition, if not corrected, could cause failure of the 
pilot's and/or co-pilot's control column. Such failure could result in 
loss of control of the airplane.

Has FAA Taken Any Action to This Point?

    We issued a proposal to amend part 39 of the Federal Aviation 
Regulations (14 CFR part 39) to include an AD that would apply to all 
Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2 and BN2A Mk. III series airplanes. This 
proposal was published in the Federal Register as a notice of proposed 
rulemaking (NPRM) on September 18, 2002 (67 FR 58737). The NPRM 
proposed to require you to inspect the universal joints on the pilot's 
and co-pilot's control column to determine the diameter of the shaft 
and replace any universal joint that is the wrong size.

Was the Public Invited to Comment?

    The FAA encouraged interested persons to participate in the making 
of this amendment. We did not receive any comments on the proposed rule 
or on our determination of the cost to the public.

FAA's Determination

What Is FAA's Final Determination on This Issue?

    After careful review of all available information related to the 
subject presented above, we have determined that air safety and the 
public interest require the adoption of the rule as proposed except for 
minor editorial corrections. We have determined that these minor 
corrections:
    --Provide the intent that was proposed in the NPRM for correcting 
the unsafe condition; and
    --Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was already 
proposed in the NPRM.

What Are the Differences Between This AD, the Service Information, and 
the CAA AD?

    The CAA AD and the service information requires inspection and, if 
necessary, replacement of any universal joint that is not the correct 
size within the next 10 hours time-in-service (TIS) after the effective 
date of the AD. We are requiring you to inspect and, if necessary, 
replace within 30 days after the effective date of this AD. We do not 
have justification to require this action within the next 10 hours TIS. 
We use compliance times such as this when we have identified an urgent 
safety of flight situation. We believe that 30 days will give the 
owners or operators of the affected airplanes enough time to have the 
actions accomplished without compromising the safety of the airplanes.

Cost Impact

How Many Airplanes Does This AD Impact?

    We estimate that this AD affects 135 airplanes in the U.S. 
registry.

What Is the Cost Impact of This AD on Owners/Operators of the Affected 
Airplanes?

    We estimate the following costs to accomplish the inspection:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Total cost per         Total cost on U.S.
    Labor cost per universal joint            Parts cost            universal joint             operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 workhour x $60 = $60 (3 universal    No parts required......  $60 ($60 x 3 universal   $180 x 135 = $24,300.
 joints per airplane).                                           joints per airplane =
                                                                 $180).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We estimate the following costs to accomplish any necessary 
replacements that will be required based on the results of the 
inspection. We have no way of determining the number of airplanes that 
may need such replacement:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Labor cost per universal                             Total cost per
            joint                  Parts cost          universal joint
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 workhours x $60 = $120....  $2,000 per universal  $120 + $2,000 =
                               joint.                $2,120.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Compliance Time of This AD

What Is the Compliance Time of This AD?

    The compliance time of this AD is ``within the next 30 days after 
the effective date of this AD.''

Why Is the Compliance Time Presented in Calendar Time Instead of Hours 
Time-in-Service (TIS)?

    This unsafe condition is not a result of the number of times the 
airplane is operated. The chance of this situation occurring is the 
same for an airplane with 10 hours time-in-service (TIS) as it is for 
an airplane with 500 hours TIS. For this reason, the FAA has determined 
that a compliance based on calendar time should be utilized in this AD 
in order to assure that the unsafe condition is addressed on all 
airplanes in a reasonable time period.

[[Page 76984]]

Regulatory Impact

Does This AD Impact Various Entities?

    The regulations adopted herein 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. Therefore, it 
is determined that this final rule does not have federalism 
implications under Executive Order 13132.

Does This AD Involve a Significant Rule or Regulatory Action?

    For the reasons discussed above, I certify that this action (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. A copy of the final evaluation prepared for this 
action is contained in the Rules Docket. A copy of it may be obtained 
by contacting the Rules Docket at the location provided under the 
caption ADDRESSES.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

    Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by 
reference, Safety.

Adoption of the Amendment

    Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the Federal Aviation Administration amends part 39 of 
the Federal Aviation Regulations (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. FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding a new AD to read as follows:

2002-25-05 Pilatus Britten-Norman Limited: Amendment 39-12980; 
Docket No. 2002-CE-35-AD.

    (a) What airplanes are affected by this AD? This AD affects the 
following airplane models, all serial numbers, that are certificated 
in any category:

Models

BN-2, BN-2A, BN-2A-2, BN-2A-3, BN-2A-6, BN-2A-8, BN-2A-9, BN-2A-20, 
BN-2A-21, BN-2A-26, BN-2A-27, BN-2B-20, BN-2B-21, BN-2B-26, BN-2B-
27, BN-2T, BN-2T-4R, BN2A MK. III, BN2A MK. III-2, and BN2A MK. III-
3
    (b) Who must comply with this AD? Anyone who wishes to operate 
any of the airplanes identified in paragraph (a) of this AD must 
comply with this AD.
    (c) What problem does this AD address? The actions specified by 
this AD are intended to correct the installation of universal joints 
that have the wrong-sized shaft, which could result in failure of 
the pilot's and/or co-pilot's control column. Such failure could 
lead to loss of control of the airplane.
    (d) What actions must I accomplish to address this problem? To 
address this problem, you must accomplish the following:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Actions                  Compliance          Procedures
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Inspect all universal joints  Inspect within the  In accordance with
 on the pilot's and co-pilot's     next 30 days        B-N Group Ltd.
 control columns to determine      after February 3,   Service Bulletin
 the diameter of the shaft.        2003 (the           Number SB 284,
(i) If the universal joint         effective date of   Issue 1, dated
 diameter is 1.154 to 1.155        this AD). Replace   May 9, 2002.
 inches, re-install into the       prior to further
 airplane; and.                    flight after the
(ii) If the universal joint        inspection.
 diameter is not 1.154 to 1.155
 inches in diameter, replace
 with a new universal joint that
 has the a diameter of 1.154 to
 1.155 inches.
(2) Do not install any universal  As of February 3,   In accordance with
 joint that is not 1.154 to        2003 (the           B-N Group Ltd.
 1.155 inches in diameter.         effective date of   Service Bulletin
                                   this AD).           Number SB 284,
                                                       Issue 1, dated
                                                       May 9, 2002.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (e) Can I comply with this AD in any other way? You may use an 
alternative method of compliance or adjust the compliance time if:
    (1) Your alternative method of compliance provides an equivalent 
level of safety; and
    (2) The Manager, Standards Office, Small Airplane Directorate, 
approves your alternative. Submit your request through an FAA 
Principal Maintenance Inspector, who may add comments and then send 
it to the Manager, Standards Office.

    Note 1: This AD applies to each airplane identified in paragraph 
(a) of this AD, regardless of whether it has been modified, altered, 
or repaired in the area subject to the requirements of this AD. For 
airplanes that have been modified, altered, or repaired so that the 
performance of the requirements of this AD is affected, the owner/
operator must request approval for an alternative method of 
compliance in accordance with paragraph (e) of this AD. The request 
should include an assessment of the effect of the modification, 
alteration, or repair on the unsafe condition addressed by this AD; 
and, if you have not eliminated the unsafe condition, specific 
actions you propose to address it.

    (f) Where can I get information about any already-approved 
alternative methods of compliance? Contact Doug Rudolph, Aerospace 
Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, 
Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4059; facsimile: 
(816) 329-4090.
    (g) What if I need to fly the airplane to another location to 
comply with this AD? The FAA can issue a special flight permit under 
sections 21.197 and 21.199 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 
CFR 21.197 and 21.199) to operate your airplane to a location where 
you can accomplish the requirements of this AD.
    (h) Are any service bulletins incorporated into this AD by 
reference? Actions required by this AD must be done in accordance 
with B-N Group Ltd. Service Bulletin Number SB 284, Issue 1, dated 
May 9, 2002. The Director of the Federal Register approved this 
incorporation by reference under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. 
You may get copies from B-N Group Limited, Bembridge, Isle of Wight, 
United Kingdom PO35 5PR; telephone: +44 (0) 1983 872511; facsimile: 
+44 (0) 1983 873246. You may view copies at the FAA, Central Region, 
Office of the Regional Counsel, 901 Locust, room 506, Kansas City, 
Missouri, or at the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North 
Capitol Street, NW., suite 700, Washington, DC.

    Note 2: The subject of this AD is addressed in British AD Number 
004-05-2002, dated May 30, 2002.

    (i) When does this amendment become effective? This amendment 
becomes effective on February 3, 2003.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on December 5, 2002.
Michael Gallagher,
Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 02-31394 Filed 12-13-02; 8:45 am]
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