Airworthiness Directives; Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC) PW305A and PW305B Turboprop Engines

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 227 (Friday, November 26, 2010)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 72653-72655]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-29599]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2010-0892; Directorate Identifier 2010-NE-23-AD; 
Amendment 39-16524; AD 2010-24-05]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC) 
PW305A and PW305B Turboprop Engines

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the 
products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing 
airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by an aviation authority of 
another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an 
aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

    As a result of a change in the low-cycle fatigue lifing 
methodology for the IMI 834 material, the recommended service life 
of certain PW305A and PW305B Impellers has been reduced, as 
published in the Airworthiness Limitations (AWL) section of Engine 
Maintenance Manual (EMM).
    The in-service life of impellers P/N 30B2185, 30B2486 and 
30B2858-01 has been reduced from 12,000 to 7,000 cycles; and of P/N 
30B4565-01 from 8,500 to 7,000 cycles.

    We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the impeller, which 
could result in an uncontained event and possible damage to the 
airplane.

[[Page 72654]]


DATES: This AD becomes effective January 3, 2011. The Director of the 
Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of certain 
publications listed in this AD as of January 3, 2011.

ADDRESSES: The Docket Operations office is located at Docket Management 
Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 
SE., West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-
0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Lawrence, Aerospace Engineer, 
Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 
New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; e-mail: 
[email protected]; phone: (781) 238-7176; fax: (781) 238-7199.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

    We issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 
part 39 to include an AD that would apply to the specified products. 
That NPRM was published in the Federal Register on August 19, 2010 (75 
FR 51187). That NPRM proposed to correct an unsafe condition for the 
specified products. The MCAI states:

    As a result of a change in the low-cycle fatigue lifing 
methodology for the IMI 834 material, the recommended service life 
of certain PW305A and PW305B Impellers has been reduced, as 
published in the Airworthiness Limitations (AWL) section of Engine 
Maintenance Manual (EMM).
    The in-service life of impellers P/N 30B2185, 30B2486 and 
30B2858-01 has been reduced from 12,000 to 7,000 cycles; and of P/N 
30B4565-01 from 8,500 to 7,000 cycles.
    This Airworthiness Directive (AD) is issued to mandate the 
incorporation of the revised in-service life limits for the affected 
impellers, in the AWL section of EMM, as introduced by Temporary 
Revision (TR) AL-8.
    Within 30 days from the effective date of this AD, update AWL 
section of your PW305 EMM P/N 30B1402, to incorporate TR AL-8 for 
compliance with the revised in-service limits for the affected 
Impellers, installed on PW305A and PW305B engine.

Comments

    We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing 
this AD. We considered the comment received.

Request To Establish an Ending Engine Serial Number Applicability

    One commenter, Bombardier--Learjet, asked us to establish an ending 
engine serial number (S/N) applicability for the proposed AD. The 
commenter said that any engine from S/N CA0651 forward will be linked 
to the updated engine maintenance manual (EMM) with the 7,000 cycle 
exducer life limit. Therefore, engines that have entered or will enter 
service with the appropriate Airworthiness Limitations already included 
in their EMM, will not be subject to this unsafe condition. To leave 
the AD applicability open-ended, will cause hours of unnecessary review 
and logbook entries for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and 
operators of engines that do not have an unsafe condition.
    We don't agree. Because there are no mandatory links between the 
engine S/N and the EMM, there is no guarantee the EMM will stay with a 
particular engine S/N. Also, because the proposed AD is a onetime 
requirement to reduce the life limit for the exducer in the 
Airworthiness Limitations Section, the proposed AD won't cause hours of 
unnecessary review and logbook entries for OEMs and operators of 
engines. We didn't change the proposed AD.

Conclusion

    We reviewed the available data, including the comment received, and 
determined that air safety and the public interest require adopting the 
AD as proposed.

Costs of Compliance

    Based on the service information, we estimate that this AD will 
affect about 114 products of U.S. registry. We also estimate that it 
will take 0 work-hours per product to comply with this AD. The average 
labor rate is $85 per work-hour. Required parts will cost about $54,288 
per product. Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of the AD on 
U.S. operators to be $6,188,832. Our cost estimate is exclusive of 
possible warranty coverage.

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 determined that this AD will not have federalism implications 
under Executive Order 13132. This AD 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.
    For the reasons discussed above, I certify this 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 regulatory evaluation of the estimated costs to 
comply with this AD and placed it in the AD docket.

Examining the AD Docket

    You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov; or in person at the Docket Operations office 
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. The AD docket contains this AD, the regulatory evaluation, 
any comments received, and other information. The street address for 
the Docket Operations office (phone (800) 647-5527) is provided 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, Incorporation by 
reference, Safety.

Adoption of the Amendment

0
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, 
the FAA amends 14 CFR part 39 as follows:

PART 39--AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

0
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]

0
2. The FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new AD:

2010-24-05 Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (Formerly Pratt & Whitney 
Canada, Inc.): Amendment 39-16524. Docket No.

[[Page 72655]]

FAA-2010-0829; Directorate Identifier 2010-NE-23-AD.

Effective Date

    (a) This airworthiness directive (AD) becomes effective January 
3, 2011.

Affected ADs

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC) 
PW305A and PW305B turboprop engines with certain impellers, part 
numbers (P/Ns) 30B2185, 30B2486, 30B2858-01, or 30B4565-01 
installed. These engines are installed on, but not limited to, 
Hawker-Beech Corporation BAe.125 series 1000A, 1000B, and Hawker 
1000 airplanes and Learjet Inc. Learjet 60 airplanes.

Reason

    (d) This AD results from:
    As a result of a change in the low-cycle fatigue lifing 
methodology for the IMI 834 material, the recommended service life 
of certain PW305A and PW305B Impellers has been reduced, as 
published in the Airworthiness Limitations (AWL) section of Engine 
Maintenance Manual (EMM).
    The in-service life of impellers P/N 30B2185, 30B2486 and 
30B2858-01 has been reduced from 12,000 to 7,000 cycles; and of P/N 
30B4565-01 from 8,500 to 7,000 cycles.
    We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the impeller, which 
could result in an uncontained event and possible damage to the 
airplane.

Actions and Compliance

    (e) Unless already done, do the following actions.
    (f) Within 30 days from the effective date of this AD, update 
AWL section of your PW305 EMM P/N 30B1402, to incorporate Pratt & 
Whitney Canada Corp. Temporary Revision (TR) AL-8, dated January 20, 
2010, for compliance with the revised in-service limits for the 
affected Impellers, installed on PW305A and PW305B engine.

FAA AD Differences

    (g) None.

Other FAA AD Provisions

    (h) The following provisions also apply to this AD:

Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (i) The Manager, Engine Certification Office, FAA, has the 
authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using the 
procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19.

Related Information

    (j) Refer to MCAI Transport Canada Airworthiness Directive CF-
2010-09, dated March 17, 2010, for related information.
    (k) Contact James Lawrence, Aerospace Engineer, Engine 
Certification Office, FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 New 
England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; e-mail: 
[email protected]; phone: (781) 238-7176; fax: (781) 238-7199, 
for more information about this AD.

Material Incorporated by Reference

    (l) You must use Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. Temporary Revision 
No. AL-8, dated January 20, 2010, to P&WC EMM P/N 30B1402 to do the 
actions required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference of this service information under 5 
U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) For service information identified in this AD, contact Pratt 
& Whitney Canada Corp., 1000 Marie-Victorin, Longueuil, Quebec, 
Canada J4G 1A1; telephone (800) 268-8000; fax (450) 647-2888; or go 
to: http://www.pwc.ca.
    (3) You may review copies at the FAA, New England Region, 12 New 
England Executive Park, Burlington, MA; or at the National Archives 
and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the 
availability of this material at NARA, call (202) 741-6030, or go 
to: http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

    Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on November 10, 2010.
Peter A. White,
Assistant Manager, Engine and Propeller Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-29599 Filed 11-24-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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