Airworthiness Directives; Reims Aviation S.A. Airplanes

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 35 (Thursday, February 21, 2013)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 11978-11980]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-03704]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2012-1274; Directorate Identifier 2012-CE-042-AD; 
Amendment 39-17359; AD 2013-04-02]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Reims Aviation S.A. Airplanes

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Reims 
Aviation S.A. Model F406 airplanes. 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 improper material used in nose landing gear (NLG) 
attachment brackets could lead to failure of the NLG bracket with 
consequent damage to the airplane while landing. We are issuing this AD 
to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: This AD is effective March 28, 2013.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of a certain publication listed in the AD as of March 28, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov or in person at 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 service information identified in this AD, contact Reims 
Aviation Industries, A[eacute]rodrome de Reims Prunay, 51360 Prunay, 
France; telephone + 33 3 26 48 46 65; fax + 33 3 26 49 18 57; email: 
[email protected]; Internet: www.geciaviation.com/en/f406.html. You may review copies of the referenced service information 
at the FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, 
Missouri 64106. For information on the availability of this material at 
the FAA, call (816) 329-4148.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, 
FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, 
Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4119; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: 
[email protected].

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 December 5, 2012 (77 
FR 72252). That NPRM proposed to correct an unsafe condition for the 
specified products. The MCAI states:

    During the manufacturing process, RAI found that some of the 
nose landing gear (NLG) attachment brackets, Part Number (P/N) 
6013119-1, were made of aluminum alloy, instead of steel. The 
results of the investigations showed that some of these aluminum 
alloy brackets are likely to be installed on aeroplanes currently in 
service.
    This condition, if not detected and corrected, could lead to 
failure of the NLG attachment bracket and jamming of the NLG 
extension/retraction mechanism, possibly resulting in a runway 
excursion and consequent damage to the aeroplane and injury to the 
occupants.
    For the reasons described above, this AD requires inspection of 
the NLG attachment bracket P/N 6013119-1 and, depending on findings, 
replacement with a serviceable bracket made of steel.
    In addition, as some aluminum alloy P/N 6013119-1 NLG attachment 
brackets may have been supplied as spares, this AD also requires 
determination that the part is made of steel, prior to installation.

Comments

    We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing 
this AD. We received no comments on the NPRM (77 FR 72252, December 5, 
2012) or on the determination of the cost to the public.

Conclusion

    We reviewed the relevant data and determined that air safety and 
the public interest require adopting the AD as proposed except for 
minor editorial changes. We have determined that these minor changes:
    <bullet> Are consistent with the intent that was proposed in the 
NPRM (77 FR 72252, December 5, 2012) for correcting the unsafe 
condition; and
    <bullet> Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was 
already proposed in the (77 FR 72252, December 5, 2012).

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this AD will affect 7 products of U.S. registry. 
We also estimate that it would take about .5 work-hour per product to 
comply with

[[Page 11979]]

the basic requirements of this AD. The average labor rate is $85 per 
work-hour.
    Based on these figures, we estimate the cost of this AD on U.S. 
operators to be $42.50, or $297.50 per product.
    In addition, we estimate that any necessary follow-on actions would 
take about 3 work-hours and require parts costing $500, for a cost of 
$755 per product. We have no way of determining the number of products 
that may need these actions.

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),
    (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.

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 the NPRM, 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.

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 AD:

2013-04-02 Reims Aviation S.A.: Amendment 39-17359; Docket No. FAA-
2012-1274; Directorate Identifier 2012-CE-042-AD.

(a) Effective Date

    This airworthiness directive (AD) becomes effective March 28, 
2013.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Reims Aviation S.A. F406 airplanes, all 
serial numbers, certificated in any category.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association of America (ATA) Code 32: Landing 
Gear.

(e) Reason

    This AD was prompted by reports of improper material used in 
nose landing gear (NLG) attachment brackets that could lead to 
failure of the NLG bracket with consequent damage to the airplane 
while landing. We are issuing this AD to ensure the proper NLG 
attachment bracket is installed.

(f) Actions and Compliance

    Unless already done, do the following actions following the 
Accomplishment Instructions numbers 1 through 5 in Reims Aviation 
Industries Service Bulletin No. F406-74, dated September 26, 2012:
    (1) Within the next 25 hours time-in-service (TIS) after March 
28, 2013 (the effective date of this AD) or within the next 30 days 
after March 28, 2013 (the effective date of this AD), whichever 
occurs first, inspect the nose landing gear (NLG) attachment 
brackets, part number (P/N) 6013119-1, to verify if they are made of 
steel and not aluminum alloy.
    (2) If during the inspection required in paragraph (f)(1) of 
this AD, you find that a NLG attachment bracket made of aluminum 
alloy is installed, before further flight, replace with an airworthy 
steel NLG attachment bracket, P/N 6013119-1.
    (3) As of March 28, 2013 (the effective date of this AD), do not 
install any NLG attachment bracket P/N 6013119-1 unless it is made 
of steel.

(g) Other FAA AD Provisions

    The following provisions also apply to this AD:
    (1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, 
Standards 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: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small 
Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 
64106; telephone: (816) 329-4119; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: 
[email protected]. 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.
    (2) Airworthy Product: For any requirement in this AD to obtain 
corrective actions from a manufacturer or other source, use these 
actions if they are FAA-approved. Corrective actions are considered 
FAA-approved if they are approved by the State of Design Authority 
(or their delegated agent). You are required to assure the product 
is airworthy before it is returned to service.
    (3) Reporting Requirements: For any reporting requirement in 
this AD, a federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person 
is not required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a 
penalty for failure to comply with a collection of information 
subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless 
that collection of information displays a current valid OMB Control 
Number. The OMB Control Number for this information collection is 
2120-0056. Public reporting for this collection of information is 
estimated to be approximately 5 minutes per response, including the 
time for reviewing instructions, completing and reviewing the 
collection of information. All responses to this collection of 
information are mandatory. Comments concerning the accuracy of this 
burden and suggestions for reducing the burden should be directed to 
the FAA at: 800 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20591, Attn: 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, AES-200.

(h) Related Information

    Refer to MCAI European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD No. 
2012-0202, dated October 1, 2012; and Reims Aviation Industries 
Service Bulletin No. F406-74, dated September 26, 2012, for related 
information.

[[Page 11980]]

(i) Material Incorporated by Reference

    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference (IBR) of the service information listed 
in this paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) You must use this service information as applicable to do 
the actions required by this AD, unless the AD specifies otherwise.
    (i) Reims Aviation Industries Service Bulletin No. F406-74, 
dated September 26, 2012.
    (ii) Reserved.
    (3) For Reims Aviation Industries service information identified 
in this AD, contact Reims Aviation Industries, A[eacute]rodrome de 
Reims Prunay, 51360 Prunay, France; telephone + 33 3 26 48 46 65; 
fax + 33 3 26 49 18 57; email: [email protected]; 
Internet: www.geciaviation.com/en/f406.html.
    (4) You may view this service information at FAA, Small Airplane 
Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For 
information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 
(816) 329-4148.
    (5) You may view this 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 Kansas City, Missouri, on February 12, 2013.
Earl Lawrence,
Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-03704 Filed 2-20-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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