Airworthiness Directives; the Boeing Company Airplanes

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 122 (Monday, June 25, 2012)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 37793-37795]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-15100]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2011-1257; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-124-AD; 
Amendment 39-17099; AD 2012-12-19]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; the Boeing Company Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 
the Boeing Company Model 777-200, -200LR, and -300ER series airplanes. 
This AD was prompted by a report from the manufacturer indicating that 
the lowered ceiling support structure of Section 41, in airplanes 
incorporating the overhead space utilization (OSU) option, was found to 
be under-strength when subjected to a 9.0 g forward load. This AD 
requires installing new structural members, tie rod(s), and attach 
fittings on the left and right sides of the lowered ceiling support 
structure. We are issuing this AD to prevent the forward lowered 
ceiling panels and support structure from becoming dislodged during a 
9.0 g forward load and consequent injury to personnel or interference 
with an emergency evacuation.

DATES: This AD is effective July 30, 2012.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of a certain publication listed in the AD as of July 30, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Attention: Data & Services Management, 
P.O. Box 3707, MC 2H-65, Seattle, Washington 98124-2207; telephone 
(206) 544-5000, extension 1; fax (206) 766-5680; email 
[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 AD, the regulatory evaluation, 
any comments received, and other information. The address for the 
Docket Office (phone: 800-647-5527) is Document Management Facility, 
U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 
Washington, DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ana Martinez Hueto, Aerospace 
Engineer, Cabin Safety and Environmental Systems Branch, ANM-150S, FAA, 
Seattle Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), 1601 Lind Avenue SW., 
Renton, WA 98057-3356; phone: (425) 917-6592; fax: (425) 917-6591; 
email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

[[Page 37794]]

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 published in the Federal Register on November 30, 2011 (76 FR 
74012). That NPRM proposed to require installing new structural members 
in and new tie rod(s) and attach fittings on the left and right sides 
of the lowered ceiling support structure.

Comments

    We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing 
this AD. The following presents the comments received on the proposal 
(76 FR 74012, November 30, 2011) and the FAA's response to each 
comment.

Request to Include Latest Revision of Service Information

    United Airlines, Air France, and Boeing requested that we revise 
the proposed rule (76 FR 74012, November 30, 2011) to reflect the 
latest revision of the service information in this AD.
    We agree. Boeing has issued Boeing Special Attention Service 
Bulletin 777-25-0482, Revision 1, dated February 21, 2012. This service 
bulletin was revised due to minor changes to correct hardware and 
location for its installation. We have changed this final rule to 
reference Boeing Special Attention Service Bulletin 777-25-0482, 
Revision 1, dated February 21, 2012, and changed total task hours in 
the Costs of Compliance section of this AD from 19 hours to 23 hours to 
account for the revised labor hours. Paragraph (h) of this final rule 
has also been added to give credit for actions performed before the 
effective date of this AD using Boeing Special Attention Service 
Bulletin 777-25-0482, dated February 24, 2011.

Conclusion

    We reviewed the relevant data, considered the comments received, 
and determined that air safety and the public interest require adopting 
the AD with the changes described previously and minor editorial 
changes. We have determined that these minor changes:
    <bullet> [Agr]re consistent with the intent that was proposed in 
the NPRM (76 FR 74012, November 30, 2011) for correcting the unsafe 
condition; and
    <bullet> Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was 
already proposed in the NPRM (76 FR 74012, November 30, 2011).
    We also determined that these changes will not increase the 
economic burden on any operator or increase the scope of the AD.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this AD affects 4 airplanes of U.S. registry.
    We estimate the following costs to comply with this AD:

                                                 Estimated Costs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                    Cost per       Cost on U.S.
               Action                        Labor cost           Parts cost        product         operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Install ceiling support structure     23 work-hours x $85 per         $13,329          $15,284          $61,136
 members, fittings, and tie rods.      hour = $1,955.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    According to the manufacturer, some of the costs of this AD may be 
covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on affected 
individuals. We do not control warranty coverage for affected 
individuals. As a result, we have included all costs in our cost 
estimate.

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

    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 that this AD:
    (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),
    (3) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and
    (4) 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.

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 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 airworthiness 
directive (AD):

2012-12-19 The Boeing Company: Amendment 39-17099; Docket No. FAA-
2011-1257; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-124-AD.

(a) Effective Date

    This AD is effective July 30, 2012.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    (1) This AD applies to The Boeing Company Model 777-200, -200LR, 
and -300ER series airplanes; certificated in any category; as 
identified in Boeing Special Attention Service Bulletin 777-25-0482, 
Revision 1, dated February 21, 2012.

[[Page 37795]]

(d) Subject

    Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC)/Air Transport Association 
(ATA) of America Code 25: Equipment/Furnishings.

(e) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by a report from the manufacturer 
indicating that the lowered ceiling support structure of Section 41, 
in airplanes incorporating the overhead space utilization (OSU) 
option, were found to be under-strength when subjected to a 9.0 g 
forward load. We are issuing this AD to prevent the forward lowered 
ceiling panels and support structure from becoming dislodged during 
a 9.0 g forward load and consequent injury to personnel or 
interference with an emergency evacuation.

(f) Compliance

    Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, 
unless already done.

(g) Installation of Lowered Ceiling Support Structure

    Within 60 months after the effective date of this AD, install 
new structural members and new tie rod(s) and attach fittings on the 
left and right sides of the lowered ceiling support structure, in 
accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing Special 
Attention Service Bulletin 777-25-0482, Revision 1, dated February 
21, 2012.

(h) Credit for Previous Actions

    This paragraph provides credit for actions required by paragraph 
(g) of this AD, if those actions were performed before the effective 
date of this AD using Boeing Special Attention Service Bulletin 777-
25-0482, dated February 24, 2011.

(i) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (1) The Manager, Seattle 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. In accordance with 14 
CFR 39.19, send your request to your principal inspector or local 
Flight Standards District Office, as appropriate. If sending 
information directly to the manager of the ACO, send it to the 
attention of the person identified in the Related Information 
section of this AD. Information may be emailed to: [email protected].
    (2) Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate 
principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager 
of the local flight standards district office/certificate holding 
district office.
    (3) An AMOC that provides an acceptable level of safety may be 
used for any repair required by this AD if it is approved by the 
Boeing Commercial Airplanes Organization Designation Authorization 
ODA that has been authorized by the Manager, Seattle ACO, to make 
those findings. For a repair method to be approved, the repair must 
meet the certification basis of the airplane and the approval must 
specifically refer to this AD.

(j) Related Information

    (1) For more information about this AD, contact Ana Martinez 
Hueto, Aerospace Engineer, Cabin Safety and Environmental Systems 
Branch, ANM-150S, FAA, Seattle Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), 
1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057-3356; phone: 425-917-6592; 
fax: 425-917-6591; email: [email protected].

(k) Material Incorporated by Reference

    (1) You must use the following service information to do the 
actions required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise. The 
Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference (IBR) of the following service information under 5 U.S.C. 
552(a) and 1 CFR part 51:
    (i) Boeing Special Attention Service Bulletin 777-25-0482, 
Revision 1, dated February 21, 2012.
    (2) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Attention: Data & Services Management, 
P.O. Box 3707, MC 2H-65, Seattle, Washington 98124-2207; telephone 
206-544-5000, extension 1; fax 206-766-5680; email 
[email protected]; Internet https://www.myboeingfleet.com.
    (3) You may review copies of the 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.
    (4) You may also review copies of the service information that 
is incorporated by reference 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 Renton, Washington, on June 11, 2012.
Kalene C. Yanamura,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-15100 Filed 6-22-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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