Airworthiness Directives; Cessna Aircraft Company Models 208 and 208B Airplanes

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 25, 2008)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 35898-35900]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-13564]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2008-0331; Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-009-AD; 
Amendment 39-15569; AD 2008-13-06]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Cessna Aircraft Company Models 208 and 
208B Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The FAA adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain 
Cessna Aircraft Company (Cessna) Models 208 and 208B airplanes. This AD 
requires you to inspect the left and right wing wire bundle(s) and 
repair or replace damaged wire. This AD also requires inspecting the 
wire bundles for correct attachment to the anchor points and correcting 
any deficient attachments. This AD results from chafed wiring found on 
wire bundles in the left and right wings containing the auto-control 
wing de-ice system, fuel quantity indication, and low fuel annunciation 
on the Cessna 208B airplanes. Improper installation of wire bundle 
supporting hardware can cause chafed wiring in the affected bundles. We 
are issuing this AD to detect and correct damaged wiring of the auto-
control wing de-ice system, fuel quantity indication, and low fuel 
annunciation systems. This condition could result in incorrect fuel 
quantity indications, loss of low fuel quantity annunciations, or loss 
of the autocontrol wing de-ice system.

DATES: This AD becomes effective on July 30, 2008.
    On July 30, 2008, the Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in this AD.

ADDRESSES: To get the service information identified in this AD, 
contact Cessna Aircraft Company, One Cessna Boulevard, P.O. Box 7706, 
Wichita, KS 67277-7704; telephone: (316) 517-5800; fax: (316) 942-9006.
    To view the AD docket, go to U.S. Department of Transportation, 
Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 
New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, or on the Internet at 
http://www.regulations.gov. The docket number is FAA-2008-0331; 
Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-009-AD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel Hilton, Aerospace Engineer, 
1801 Airport Road, Room 100, Wichita, Kansas 67209; telephone: (316) 
946-4173; fax: (316) 946-4107.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

    On March 11, 2008, 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 Cessna Model 208 and 208B airplanes. This 
proposal was published in the Federal Register as a notice of proposed 
rulemaking (NPRM) on March 17, 2008 (73 FR 14191). The NPRM proposed to 
detect and correct damaged wiring of the auto-control wing de-ice 
system, fuel quantity indication, and low fuel annunciation systems.

Comments

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

Comment Issue: Allow More Time for Service Bulletin

    The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) comments that 
they believe the issuance of an AD on the wiring bundles of the Cessna 
208 is premature. The AOPA comments that it believes a service bulletin 
is an effective way to correct the wiring bundle issues, and FAA should 
have allowed more time for the service bulletin, dated February 4, 
2008, to be distributed to Cessna 208 owners and mechanics. The 
commenter adds that if after a reasonable amount of time the service 
bulletin is not appropriately addressing the safety concern, then the 
FAA could issue a special airworthiness information bulletin (SAIB) or 
an AD.
    We do not concur with the AOPA comment. Mandatory service bulletins 
and their process thereof do not constitute rulemaking for owners/
operators to complete the requested action. The only enforceable 
process to assure that the unsafe condition is properly addressed on 
all aircraft is through the rulemaking process, in this case an AD.
    We are making no changes to the final rule based on this comment.

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 512 airplanes in the U.S. 
registry.
    We estimate the following costs to do the inspection:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Total cost
                   Labor cost                                Parts cost                  per      Total cost on
                                                                                      airplane    U.S. operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 work-hour x $80 per hour = $80...............  Not Applicable....................        $80          $40,960
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    We estimate the following costs to do any necessary repairs that 
would be required based on the results of the inspection. We have no 
way of determining the number of airplanes that may need this repair/
replacement:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Total cost per
                 Labor cost                  Parts cost      airplane
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 work-hour x $80 per hour = $80...........        $10              $90
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 35899]]

    Warranty credit will be given to the extent specified in Cessna 
Aircraft Company Service Bulletin CAB08-2, dated February 4, 2008.

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-2008-0331; Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-009-AD'' in your 
request.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

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

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 a new AD to read as follows:

2008-13-06 Cessna Aircraft Company: Amendment 39-15569; Docket No. 
FAA-2008-0331; Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-009-AD.

Effective Date

    (a) This AD becomes effective on July 30, 2008.

Affected ADs

    (b) None.

Applicability

    (c) This AD applies to the following airplane models and serial 
numbers that are certificated in any category:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Models                             Serial Nos.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
208...........................  20800001 through 20800415.
208B..........................  208B0001 through 208B1299.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unsafe Condition

    (d) This AD results from reports of chafed wiring found on wire 
bundles in the left and right wings containing the auto-control wing 
de-ice system, fuel quantity indication, and low fuel annunciation 
on several Cessna Model 208B airplanes. We are issuing this AD to 
detect and correct damaged wiring of the auto-control wing de-ice 
system, fuel quantity indication, and low fuel annunciation systems. 
This condition, if not corrected, could result in incorrect fuel 
quantity indications, loss of low fuel quantity annunciations, or 
loss of the auto-control wing de-ice system.

Compliance

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

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Actions                  Compliance          Procedures
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Inspect the left and right    Within the next     Follow Cessna
 wing electrical wire bundles at   200 hours time-in-  Aircraft Company
 the anchor attach points for      service after       Service Bulletin
 loose and damaged wiring.         July 30, 2008       CAB08-2, dated
                                   (the effective      February 4, 2008.
                                   date of this AD)
                                   or within 12
                                   months after July
                                   30, 2008 (the
                                   effective date of
                                   this AD),
                                   whichever comes
                                   first.
(2) If, as a result of the        Before further      Follow Cessna
 inspection required by            flight after the    Aircraft Company
 paragraph (e)(1) of this AD,      inspection          Service Bulletin
 damaged wires are found, repair   required by         CAB08-2, dated
 or replace damaged wires and      paragraph (e)(1)    February 4, 2008.
 properly attach wire bundle.      of this AD.
(3) If, as a result of the        Before further      Follow Cessna
 inspection required by            flight after the    Aircraft Company
 paragraph (e)(1) of this AD,      inspection          Service Bulletin
 loosely attached wires were       required by         CAB08-2, dated
 found, secure any wires that      paragraph (e)(1)    February 4, 2008.
 are loosely attached and          of this AD.
 properly attach wire bundle
 supporting hardware.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (f) The Manager, Wichita 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. Send information to 
ATTN: Daniel Hilton, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Wichita ACO, 1801 
Airport Road, Room 100, Wichita, Kansas 67209; telephone: 316-946-
4173; e-mail address: [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.

Material Incorporated by Reference

    (g) You must use Cessna Aircraft Company Service Bulletin CAB08-
2, dated February 4, 2008, to do the actions required by this AD, 
unless the AD specifies otherwise.
    (1) The Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference of this service information under 5 
U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51.
    (2) For service information identified in this AD, contact 
Cessna Aircraft Company, One Cessna Boulevard, P.O. Box 7706, 
Wichita, KS 67277-7704; telephone: (316) 517-5800; fax: (316) 942-
9006.

[[Page 35900]]

    (3) You may review copies at the FAA, Central Region, Office of 
the Regional Counsel, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; or 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/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 10, 2008.
Kim Smith,
Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. E8-13564 Filed 6-24-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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