Airworthiness Directives; Piper Aircraft, Inc. Models PA-46-350P and PA-46R-350T Airplanes

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 60 (Tuesday, March 31, 2009)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 14461-14463]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-6986]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2009-0007; Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-072-AD; 
Amendment 39-15867; AD 2009-07-08]
RIN 2120-AA64


Airworthiness Directives; Piper Aircraft, Inc. Models PA-46-350P 
and PA-46R-350T 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 certain 
Piper Aircraft, Inc. Models PA-46-350P and PA-46R-350T airplanes. This 
AD requires you to inspect the 35-amp and 250-amp current limiters to 
verify they are installed in the proper locations and correct the 
installation if the current limiters are not installed in the proper 
locations. This AD also limits operation to ``only under day visual 
flight rules (VFR)'' until the current limiter installation is 
inspected and corrected. This AD results from three reports of 
incorrectly installed current limiters. We are issuing this AD to 
detect and correct incorrect installation of 35-amp and 250-amp current 
limiters, which could result in failure of the 35-amp current limiter 
if installed in the 250-amp location. This failure could lead to a 
total loss of electrical power.

DATES: This AD becomes effective on May 5, 2009.
    On May 5, 2009, the Director of the Federal Register approved the 
incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in this AD.

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this AD, contact Piper 
Aircraft, Inc., 2926 Piper Drive, Vero Beach, Florida 32960; telephone: 
(772) 978-6573; Internet: http://www.newpiper.com/company/publications.asp.
    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-2009-0007; 
Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-072-AD.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Lee, Aerospace Engineer, One 
Crown Center, 1895 Phoenix Blvd., Suite 450, Atlanta, Georgia 30349; 
telephone: (770) 994-6736; fax: (770) 703-6097.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

    On January 7, 2009, 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 Piper Aircraft, Inc. Models PA-46-350P and PA-
46R-350T airplanes. This proposal was published in the Federal Register 
as a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on January 15, 2009 (74 FR 
2425). The NPRM proposed to require an inspection to verify the 35-amp 
and 250-amp current limiters are installed in the proper locations and 
correct the installation if the current limiters are not installed in 
the proper locations. The NPRM also proposed to limit operation to only 
under day VFR until the current limiter installation is inspected and 
corrected.

[[Page 14462]]

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

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                 Total cost per   Total cost on
                  Labor cost                              Parts cost                airplane      U.S. operators
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 work-hour x $80 per hour = $80.............  Not Applicable.................             $80           $9,440
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Total cost per
            Labor cost                  Parts cost           airplane
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 work-hour x $80 per hour = $80.  Not Applicable......             $80
------------------------------------------------------------------------

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-2009-0007; Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-072-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 the following new AD:

2009-07-08 Piper Aircraft, Inc.: Amendment 39-15867; Docket No. FAA-
2009-0007; Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-072-AD.

Effective Date

    (a) This AD becomes effective on May 5, 2009.

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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PA-46-350P.............................  4636375 through 4636447.
PA-46R-350T............................  4692001 through 4692068.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unsafe Condition

    (d) This AD results from three reports of incorrectly installed 
current limiters. We are issuing this AD to detect incorrect 
installation of 35-amp and 250-amp current limiters, which could 
result in failure of the 35-amp current limiter if installed in the 
250-amp location. This failure could lead to a total loss of 
electrical power.

Compliance

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

[[Page 14463]]



 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Actions                 Compliance            Procedures
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Insert the following      Before further        Under 14 CFR 43.7,
 into the Limitations          flight after May 5,   the owner/operator
 section of the airplane       2009 (the effective   holding at least a
 flight manual (AFM):          date of this AD).     private pilot
 ``Operate Only under Day                            certificate is
 Visual Flight Rules                                 allowed to insert
 (VFR).'' You may remove the                         the information
 limitations specified in                            into the AFM as
 this paragraph after doing                          specified in
 the action required in                              paragraph (e)(1) of
 paragraphs (e)(2) and                               this AD. You may
 (e)(3) of this AD, as                               insert a copy of
 applicable.                                         this AD into the
                                                     Limitations section
                                                     of the AFM to
                                                     comply with this
                                                     action. Make an
                                                     entry into the
                                                     aircraft logbook
                                                     showing compliance
                                                     with this portion
                                                     of the AD per
                                                     compliance with 14
                                                     CFR 43.9.
(2) Inspect the 35-amp and    Within 100 hours      Follow Piper
 250-amp current limiters      time-in-service       Aircraft, Inc.
 for installation in the       after May 5, 2009     Service Bulletin
 proper location.              (the effective date   No. 2000, dated
                               of this AD).          September 16, 2008.
(3) If you find any current   Before further        Follow Piper
 limiter not in the proper     flight after the      Aircraft, Inc.
 location, reinstall the       inspection required   Service Bulletin
 current limiter in the        in paragraph (e)(2)   No. 2000, dated
 proper location.              of this AD.           September 16, 2008.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alternative Methods of Compliance (AMOCs)

    (f) The Manager, Atlanta 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: John Lee, Aerospace Engineer, One Crown Center, 1895 Phoenix 
Blvd., Suite 450, Atlanta, Georgia 30349; telephone: (770) 994-6736; 
fax: (770) 703-6097. 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 Piper Aircraft, Inc. Service Bulletin No. 2000, 
dated September 16, 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 Piper 
Aircraft, Inc., 2926 Piper Drive, Vero Beach, Florida 32960; 
telephone: (772) 978-6573; Internet: http://www.newpiper.com/company/publications.asp.
    (3) You may review copies of the service information 
incorporated by reference for this AD at the FAA, Central Region, 
Office of the Regional Counsel, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 
64106. For information on the availability of this material at the 
Central Region, call (816) 329-3768.
    (4) You may also review copies of the service information 
incorporated by reference for this AD 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 March 24, 2009.
John R. Colomy,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
 [FR Doc. E9-6986 Filed 3-30-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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