Airworthiness Directives; Raytheon Aircraft Company Model B300 Airplanes

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 181 (Tuesday, September 19, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 54762-54763]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-15422]



[[Page 54762]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2005-22103; Directorate Identifier 2005-CE-42-AD; 
Amendment 39-14766; AD 2006-19-09]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Raytheon Aircraft Company Model B300 
Airplanes

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

ACTION: Final rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 
Raytheon Aircraft Company (RAC) Model B300 airplanes. This AD requires 
you to modify the cabin passenger seats by installing a modification 
kit on each passenger seat, removing the existing technical standard 
order (TSO) label, and re-identifying each modified passenger seat 
assembly with a new part number. This AD results from the seats not 
meeting the ultimate load requirements of 14 CFR part 23 during 
structural testing of the seat with design changes. We are issuing this 
AD to prevent the passenger seats from failing during emergency landing 
conditions when high inertial loadings occur. Passenger seat failure 
may result in occupant injury.

DATES: This AD becomes effective on October 24, 2006.
    As of October 24, 2006, the Director of the Federal Register 
approved the incorporation by reference of certain publications listed 
in the regulation.

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Raytheon Aircraft Company, P.O. Box 85, Wichita, Kansas 67201; 
telephone: (800) 625-7043.
    To view the AD docket, go to the Docket Management Facility; U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, 
Room PL-401, Washington, DC 20590-0001 or on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov. The docket number is FAA-2005-22103; Directorate 
Identifier 2005-CE-42-AD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven E. Potter, Aerospace Engineer, 
Wichita Aircraft Certification Office, Airframe and Services Branch, 
ACE-118W, 1801 Airport Road, Wichita, Kansas 67209; telephone: (316) 
946-4124; facsimile: (316) 946-4107.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

    On May 15, 2006, we issued a proposal to amend part 39 of the 
Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39) to include an AD that 
would apply to certain RAC Model B300 airplanes. This proposal was 
published in the Federal Register as a notice of proposed rulemaking 
(NPRM) on May 19, 2006 (71 FR 29090). The NPRM proposed to require you 
to modify the cabin passenger seats by installing a modification kit on 
each passenger seat, removing the existing TSO label, and re-
identifying each modified passenger seat assembly with a new part 
number.

Comments

    We provided the public the opportunity to participate in developing 
this AD. We received no comments on the proposal or on the 
determination of the cost to the public.

Conclusion

    We have carefully reviewed the available data and determined that 
air safety and the public interest require adopting the AD as proposed 
except for minor editorial corrections. We have determined that these 
minor corrections:
    <bullet> Are consistent with the intent that was proposed in the 
NPRM for correcting the unsafe condition; and
    <bullet> Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was 
already proposed in the NPRM.

Costs of Compliance

    We estimate that this AD affects 292 airplanes in the U.S. 
registry.
    We estimate the following costs to do the modification:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Total cost
                                                 Parts cost      per
                  Labor cost                     (per seat)    airplane        Total cost on U.S. operators
                                                              (per seat)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 work-hours (per seat) x $80 per hour = $240.       $1,500       $1,740  $2,387,280. The number of passenger
                                                                           seats per airplane may vary. We
                                                                           estimate a total of 1,372 seats in
                                                                           the entire fleet.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 AD.

Regulatory Findings

    We have 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 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); 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 summary of the costs to comply with this AD (and 
other information as included in the Regulatory Evaluation) and placed 
it in the AD Docket. You may get a copy of this summary by sending a 
request to us at the address listed under ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket 
No. FAA-2005-22103; Directorate Identifier 2005-CE-42-AD'' in your 
request.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

    Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation safety, Incorporation by 
reference, Safety.

[[Page 54763]]

Adoption of the Amendment

0
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, 
the Federal Aviation Administration amends part 39 of the Federal 
Aviation Regulations (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. FAA amends Sec.  39.13 by adding the following new AD:

2006-19-09 Raytheon Aircraft Company: Amendment 39-14766; Docket No. 
FAA-2005-22103; Directorate Identifier 2005-CE-42-AD.

Effective Date

    (a) This AD becomes effective on October 24, 2006.

Affected ADs

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD affects Model B300 airplanes, serial numbers FL-1 
through FL-289, that are certificated in any category.

Unsafe Condition

    (d) This AD is the result of the cabin passenger seats not 
meeting the design load requirements of 14 CFR part 23 during 
structural load testing for design changes. The actions specified in 
this AD are intended to prevent the passenger seats from failing 
during emergency landing conditions when high inertial loadings 
occur. Passenger seat failure could result in occupant injury.

Compliance

    (e) To address this problem, you must do the following, unless 
already done:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Actions                 Compliance            Procedures
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Install a modification    Within 24 calendar    Follow Raytheon
 kit for each cabin            months or 600 hours   Aircraft Company
 passenger seat as follows:    time-in-service,      Service Bulletin SB
(i) Install part number (P/    whichever occurs      25-3640, Rev. 1;
 N) 130-5108-0001 for left     first after October   Issued: May 2005,
 forward facing seats or       24, 2006 (the         Revised: January
 right aft facing seats; and.  effective date of     2006.
(ii) Install P/N 130-5108-     this AD).
 0002 for right forward
 facing seats or left aft
 facing seats.
(2) Remove the TSO label on   Before further        Follow Raytheon
 each cabin seat and re-       flight after doing    Aircraft Company
 identify each modified        the modification      Service Bulletin SB
 cabin seat assembly with      required in           25-3640, Rev. 1;
 the new P/N.                  paragraph (e)(1) of   Issued: May 2005,
                               this AD.              Revised: January
                                                     2006.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (f) The Manager, Wichita Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), 
FAA, ATTN: Steven E. Potter, Aerospace Engineer, Wichita ACO, 
Airframe and Services Branch, ACE-118W, 1801 Airport Road, Wichita, 
Kansas 67209; telephone: (316) 946-4124; facsimile: (316) 946-4107, 
has the authority to approve AMOCs for this AD, if requested using 
the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19.

Related Information

    (g) None.

Material Incorporated by Reference

    (h) You must do the actions required by this AD following the 
instructions in Raytheon Aircraft Company Service Bulletin SB 25-
3640, Rev. 1; Issued: May 2005, Revised: January 2006. The Director 
of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by reference of 
this service bulletin in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR 
part 51. To get a copy of this service information, contact Raytheon 
Aircraft Company, P.O. Box 85, Wichita, Kansas 67201; telephone: 
(800) 625-7043. To review copies of this service information, go to 
the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For 
information on the availability of this material at NARA, go to: 
http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html or call (202) 741-6030. To view the 
AD docket, go to the Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-
401, Washington, DC 20590-001 or on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov. The docket number is FAA-2005-22103; Directorate 
Identifier 2005-CE-42-AD.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on September 11, 2006.
David R. Showers,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. E6-15422 Filed 9-18-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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