Airworthiness Directives; Bombardier, Inc. Airplanes

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 192 (Thursday, October 3, 2013)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 61177-61179]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-23890]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2013-0833; Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-140-AD; 
Amendment 39-17615; AD 2013-20-09]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Bombardier, Inc. Airplanes

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

ACTION: Final rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 
Bombardier, Inc. Model CL-215-6B11 (CL-415 Variant) airplanes. This AD 
requires replacing the panel assembly of the main distribution center 
(MDC) rack. This AD was prompted by findings of chafed power wires due 
to flexing of the MDC rack panel. We are issuing this AD to prevent 
damage to power wires, which could cause simultaneous loss of systems 
such as electrical power, pilot indications, and caution/advisory 
lighting systems, which are essential for safe flight.

DATES: This AD becomes effective October 18, 2013.
    The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by 
reference of a certain publication listed in the AD as of October 18, 
2013.
    We must receive comments on this AD by November 18, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may send comments by any of the following methods:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    <bullet> Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    <bullet> Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
    <bullet> Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    For service information identified in this AD, contact Bombardier, 
Inc., 400 C[ocirc]te-Vertu Road West, Dorval, Qu[eacute]bec H4S 1Y9, 
Canada; telephone 514-855-5000; fax 514-855-7401; email 
[email protected]; Internet http://www.bombardier.com. You 
may review copies of the referenced service

[[Page 61178]]

information at the FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind 
Avenue SW., Renton, WA. 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 Operations office 
between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. The AD docket contains this AD, the MCAI, the regulatory 
evaluation, any comments received, and other information. The street 
address for the Docket Operations office (telephone (800) 647-5527) is 
in the ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available in the AD docket 
shortly after receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Assata Dessaline, Aerospace Engineer, 
Avionics and Services Branch, ANE-172, FAA, New York Aircraft 
Certification Office, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, New 
York 11590; telephone (516) 228-7301; fax (516) 794-5531.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

    Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), which is the aviation 
authority for Canada, has issued Canadian Airworthiness Directive CF-
2012-16, dated May 9, 2012 (referred to after this as the Mandatory 
Continuing Airworthiness Information, or ``the MCAI''), to correct an 
unsafe condition for the specified products. The MCAI states:

    During aeroplane operation, the Main Distribution Centre (MDC) 
rack panel is subject to flexing, due to the weight of the two DC 
Generator Control Units and the Trim Comparator Unit installed on 
the rack panel. Some wires routed below the MDC rack panel were 
found chafed. Prolonged chafing of the wires may result in damage to 
the power wires causing simultaneous loss of systems such as 
electrical power, pilot indications, and caution/advisory lighting 
systems, potentially leading to a hazardous situation.
    This [Canadian] AD is issued to replace the existing MDC rack 
panel assembly with a new design that incorporates additional 
stiffening support structure to prevent flexing of the rack panel.

Damaged power wires could cause simultaneous loss of systems such as 
electrical power, pilot indications, and caution/advisory lighting 
systems, which are essential for safe flight. You may examine the MCAI 
on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and 
locating it in Docket No. FAA-2013-0833.

Relevant Service Information

    Bombardier has issued Alert Service Bulletin 215-A4436, Revision 1, 
dated February 2, 2012. The actions described in this service 
information are intended to correct the unsafe condition identified in 
the MCAI.

Clarification of Service Information Note

    Bombardier Alert Service Bulletin 215-A4436, Revision 1, dated 
February 2, 2012, includes a note in the Accomplishment Instructions 
section instructing operators to contact Bombardier ``if any deviation 
exists'' in accomplishing the service bulletin. We have included a 
sentence in this AD to clarify that any deviation from the instructions 
provided in the service bulletin must be approved as an alternative 
method of compliance under paragraph (i)(1) of this AD.

FAA's Determination and Requirements of This AD

    This product has been approved by the aviation authority of another 
country, and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant 
to our bilateral agreement with the State of Design Authority, we have 
been notified of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI and service 
information referenced above. We are issuing this AD because we 
evaluated all pertinent information and determined the unsafe condition 
exists and is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same 
type design.
    There are no products of this type currently registered in the 
United States. However, this rule is necessary to ensure that the 
described unsafe condition is addressed if any of these products are 
placed on the U.S. Register in the future.

FAA's Determination of the Effective Date

    Since there are currently no domestic operators of this product, 
notice and opportunity for public comment before issuing this AD are 
unnecessary.

Comments Invited

    This AD is a final rule that involves requirements affecting flight 
safety, and we did not precede it by notice and opportunity for public 
comment. We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or 
arguments about this AD. Send your comments to an address listed under 
the ADDRESSES section. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2013-0833; Directorate 
Identifier 2012-NM-140-AD'' at the beginning of your comments. We 
specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory, economic, 
environmental, and energy aspects of this AD. We will consider all 
comments received by the closing date and may amend this AD because of 
those comments.
    We will post all comments we receive, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. We 
will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact we 
receive about this AD.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this AD will affect 0 products of U.S. registry. 
We also estimate that it will take about 8 work-hours per product to 
comply with the basic requirements of this AD. The average labor rate 
is $85 per work-hour. Required parts will cost about $0 per product. 
Where the service information lists required parts costs that are 
covered under warranty, we have assumed that there will be no charge 
for these parts. As we do not control warranty coverage for affected 
parties, some parties may incur costs higher than estimated here. Based 
on these figures, we estimate the cost of this AD to the U.S. operators 
to be $680 per product.

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.

[[Page 61179]]

    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 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.
    We prepared a regulatory evaluation of the estimated costs to 
comply with this AD and placed it in the AD docket.

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:

2013-20-09 Bombardier, Inc.: Amendment 39-17615. Docket No. FAA-
2013-0833; Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-140-AD.

(a) Effective Date

    This airworthiness directive (AD) becomes effective October 18, 
2013.

(b) Affected ADs

    None.

(c) Applicability

    This AD applies to Bombardier, Inc. Model CL-215-6B11 (CL-415 
Variant) airplanes, certificated in any category, serial numbers 
2001 through 2076 inclusive.

(d) Subject

    Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 53, Fuselage.

(e) Reason

    This AD was prompted by findings of chafed power wires due to 
flexing of the main distribution center (MDC) rack panel. We are 
issuing this AD to prevent damage to power wires, which could cause 
simultaneous loss of systems such as electrical power, pilot 
indications, and caution/advisory lighting systems, which are 
essential for safe flight.

(f) Compliance

    You are responsible for having the actions required by this AD 
performed within the compliance times specified, unless the actions 
have already been done.

(g) Replacement

    Within 13 months after the effective date of this AD: Replace 
the existing MDC rack panel assembly with a new rack panel assembly, 
in accordance with the Accomplishment Instructions of Bombardier 
Alert Service Bulletin 215-A4436, Revision 1, dated February 2, 
2012. A note in the Accomplishment Instructions section of 
Bombardier Alert Service Bulletin 215-A4436, Revision 1, dated 
February 2, 2012, instructs operators to contact Bombardier ``if any 
deviation exists'' in accomplishing the service bulletin; however, 
any deviation from the instructions provided in the service bulletin 
must be approved as an alternative method of compliance (AMOC) under 
paragraph (i)(1) of this AD.

(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 Bombardier Alert Service Bulletin 215-A4436, 
dated September 19, 2011.

(i) Other FAA AD Provisions

    The following provisions also apply to this AD:
    (1) Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs): The Manager, New 
York Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), ANE-170, 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 ACO, send it to ATTN: Program Manager, Continuing 
Operational Safety, FAA, New York ACO, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 
410, Westbury, NY 11590; telephone 516-228-7300; fax 516-794-5531. 
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. The AMOC approval letter must specifically reference this 
AD.
    (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.

(j) Related Information

    (1) Refer to Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information 
(MCAI) Canadian Airworthiness Directive CF-2012-16, dated May 9, 
2012, for related information. You may examine the MCAI on the 
Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating 
it in Docket No. FAA-2013-0833.
    (2) Service information identified in this AD that is not 
incorporated by reference in this AD may be obtained at addresses 
specified in paragraphs (k)(3) and (k)(4) of this AD.

(k) 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) Bombardier Alert Service Bulletin 215-A4436, Revision 1, 
dated February 2, 2012.
    (ii) Reserved.
    (3) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Bombardier, Inc., 400 C[ocirc]te-Vertu Road West, Dorval, 
Qu[eacute]bec H4S 1Y9, Canada; telephone 514-855-5000; fax 514-855-
7401; email [email protected]; Internet http://www.bombardier.com.
    (4) You may review copies of the service information at the FAA, 
Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA. 
For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, 
call 425-227-1221.
    (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 Renton, Washington, on September 18, 2013.
Ross Landes,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-23890 Filed 10-2-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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