Airworthiness Directives; General Electric Company Turbofan Engines

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 160 (Monday, August 19, 2013)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 50320-50322]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-20097]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2013-0195; Directorate Identifier 2013-NE-08-AD; 
Amendment 39-17553; AD 2013-16-15]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; General Electric Company Turbofan 
Engines

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all 
General Electric Company (GE) model GEnx-2B67B turbofan engines with 
booster anti-ice (BAI) air duct, part number (P/N) 2469M32G01, and 
support bracket, P/N 2469M46G01, installed. This AD was prompted by 
reports of cracks in the BAI air duct. This AD requires initial and 
repetitive visual inspections of the BAI air duct, removal from service 
of the BAI air duct if it fails inspection and, as a mandatory 
terminating action, the installation of new BAI air duct support 
brackets. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the BAI air 
duct, resulting in an in-flight shutdown of one or more engines, loss 
of thrust control, and damage to the airplane.

DATES: This AD is effective September 23, 2013.

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this AD, contact 
General Electric Company, GE Aviation, Room 285, One Neumann Way, 
Cincinnati, OH; phone: 513-552-3272; email: [email protected]. You may 
view this service information at the FAA, Engine & Propeller 
Directorate, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA. For 
information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 781-
238-7125.

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.

[[Page 50321]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jason Yang, Aerospace Engineer, Engine 
Certification Office, FAA, Engine & Propeller Directorate, 12 New 
England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803; phone: 781-238-7747; fax: 
781-238-7199; 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. 
The NPRM published in the Federal Register on April 11, 2013 (78 FR 
21578). The NPRM proposed to require initial and repetitive visual 
inspections of the BAI air duct, removal from service of the BAI air 
duct if it fails inspection and, as a mandatory terminating action, the 
installation of new BAI air duct support brackets.

Comments

    We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing 
this AD. The following presents the comments received on the proposal 
and the FAA's response to each comment.

Request To Revise Applicability

    The Boeing Company and GE asked that the GEnx-2B67 turbofan engine 
be removed from the Applicability section of this AD. The commenters 
noted that this engine does not have BAI hardware, therefore, 
inspection and modification of the BAI does not apply.
    We agree. We revised this AD by removing the GEnx-2B67 engine from 
the Applicability section.

Request To Update Service Information

    GE requested that we include a reference in the AD to GE Service 
Bulletin (SB) GEnx-2B S/B 75-0008, Revision 2, dated May 30, 2013. This 
SB was published after the NPRM (78 FR 21578, April 11, 2013) was 
issued.
    We agree. We revised this AD by adding a reference to GE SB GEnx-2B 
S/B 75-0008, Revision 2, dated May 30, 2013, in the Related Information 
section.

Request To Allow Repetitive Replacement of BAI Air Duct

    Cathay Pacific Airways requested that we allow removal of the 
affected BAI air duct every 400 engine flight cycles and its 
replacement with a new spare duct as an alternative method of 
compliance to the AD.
    We disagree. Replacement of the affected BAI air duct is not 
sufficient to meet the requirements of this AD. Per the Mandatory 
Terminating Action section of this AD, operators must install new BAI 
air duct support brackets and replace the BAI air duct with a part that 
is eligible for installation. We did not change the AD.

Conclusion

    We reviewed the relevant data, considered the comments received, 
and determined that air safety and the public interest require adopting 
this AD with the changes described previously. We have determined that 
these minor changes:
    <bullet> Are consistent with the intent that was proposed in the 
NPRM (78 FR 21578, April 11, 2013) for correcting the unsafe condition; 
and
    <bullet> Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was 
already proposed in the NPRM (78 FR 21578, April 11, 2013).
    We also determined that these changes will not increase the 
economic burden on any operator or increase the scope of this AD.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this AD affects 16 engines installed on airplanes 
of U.S. registry. We also estimate that it will take about 4 hours per 
engine to comply with this AD. The average labor rate is $85 per hour. 
Required parts cost about $11,000 per engine. Based on these figures, 
we estimate the cost of this AD to U.S. operators to be $181,440.

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 to the extent 
that it justifies making a regulatory distinction, 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):

2013-16-15 General Electric Company: Amendment 39-17553; Docket No. 
FAA-2013-0195; Directorate Identifier 2013-NE-08-AD.

(a) Effective Date

    This AD is effective September 23, 2013.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to all General Electric Company (GE) model GEnx-
2B67B turbofan engines with booster anti-ice (BAI) air duct, part 
number (P/N) 2469M32G01, and support bracket, P/N 2469M46G01, 
installed.

(d) Unsafe Condition

    This AD was prompted by reports of cracks in the BAI air duct, 
P/N 2469M32G01. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the BAI 
air duct, resulting in an in-flight shutdown of one or more engines, 
loss of thrust control, and damage to the airplane.

(e) Compliance

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

[[Page 50322]]

(f) Inspection of BAI Air Duct

    (1) Perform an initial visual inspection of the BAI air duct, P/
N 2469M32G01, for cracks prior to accumulating 400 cycles since new 
(CSN).
    (2) Thereafter, repeat the visual inspection within every 100 
cycles since last inspection.
    (3) If cracks in the BAI air duct are found during any 
inspection required by this AD, remove the BAI air duct from 
service.

(g) Mandatory Terminating Action

    As mandatory terminating action to the repetitive inspection 
requirement of this AD, at the next removal of BAI air duct, P/N 
2469M32G01, or if the BAI air duct is found cracked, after the 
effective date of this AD, do the following:
    (1) Install new BAI air duct support brackets, P/Ns 2550M03G01, 
2548M66G01, 2548M67P01, 2550M18G01, and 2550M17P01.
    (2) Replace the BAI air duct with one that is eligible for 
installation.

(h) Definition

    For the purpose of this AD, a BAI air duct that is eligible for 
installation is one that has accumulated 25 CSN or fewer.

(i) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    The Manager, Engine Certification Office, FAA, may approve AMOCs 
for this AD. Use the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19 to make your 
request.

(j) Related Information

    (1) For more information about this AD, contact Jason Yang, 
Aerospace Engineer, Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine & 
Propeller Directorate, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 
01803; phone: 781-238-7747; fax: 781-238-7199; email: 
[email protected].
    (2) Refer to GE Service Bulletin (SB) No. GEnx-2B S/B 75-0006, 
dated July 23, 2012; and GE SB No. GEnx-2B S/B 75-0008, Revision 1, 
dated February 4, 2013, or Revision 2, dated May 30, 2013; for 
guidance on inspecting and, if necessary, removing and replacing the 
BAI air duct, as well as procedures for installation of new BAI air 
duct support brackets.
    (3) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
General Electric, One Neumann Way, Room 285, Cincinnati, OH; phone: 
513-552-3272; email: [email protected].
    (4) You may view this service information at the FAA, Engine & 
Propeller Directorate, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, 
MA. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, 
call 781-238-7125.

(k) Material Incorporated by Reference

    None.

    Issued in Burlington, Massachusetts, on August 7, 2013.
Frank P. Paskiewicz,
Acting Director, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-20097 Filed 8-16-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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