(a) EFFECTIVE DATE
This AD is effective August 27, 2014.
(b) AFFECTED ADS
None.
(c) APPLICABILITY
This AD applies to the M7 Aerospace LLC airplanes listed in paragraphs
(c)(1) through (c)(5) of this AD that are equipped with a bayonet
shear pin main cabin door latching mechanism and are certificated in
any category. Airplanes equipped with a "click-clack" main cabin door
latching mechanism are not affected by this AD. Figure 3 of M7
Aerospace LLC SA227 Series Commuter Category Service Bulletin CC7-53
-005, and M7 Aerospace LLC SA227 Series Service Bulletin 227-53-009,
both dated November 15, 2013, is a picture showing both styles of
latching mechanisms.
(1) Model SA227-AT airplanes, serial numbers (S/Ns) AT570 through AT631,
and AT695.
(2) Model SA227-AC airplanes, S/Ns AC570 through AC788.
(3) Model SA227-BC airplanes, S/Ns BC762, BC764, BC766, and BC770 through
BC789.
(4) Model SA227-CC airplanes, S/N CC827, CC829, and CC840 through CC844.
(5) Model SA227-DC airplanes, S/Ns DC784, DC790 through DC826, DC828,
DC830 through DC839, and DC845 through DC904.
(d) SUBJECT
Joint Aircraft System Component (JASC)/Air Transport Association (ATA)
of America - Code 5310, Fuselage Main, Structure.
(e) UNSAFE CONDITION
This AD was prompted by fatigue cracks found in the internal door
surround doubler, the external skin fuselage skin, and the door corner
fittings at the fuselage upper forward corner of the main cabin door
cutout. We are issuing the AD to prevent decompression failure with
possible loss of structural integrity of the cabin structure.
(f) COMPLIANCE
Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified in paragraph
(g) through paragraph (k) of this AD, including all subparagraphs,
unless already done.
(g) INSPECTIONS
(1) Do the initial inspections of the fuselage upper forward corner and
other 3 corners of the main cabin door cutout for cracks following
Table 1 in Step 2. ACCOMPLISHMENT INSTRUCTIONS of M7 Aerospace LLC
SA227 Series Commuter Category Service Bulletin CC7-53-005 or M7
Aerospace LLC SA227 Series Service Bulletin 227-53-009, both dated
November 15, 2013, as applicable. Do the inspections at the compliance
times specified in paragraphs (g)(1)(i) through (g)(1)(iv) of this AD.
For the purposes of this AD, owner/operators who do not track total
aircraft flight cycles (TAC), use a .5 to 1 conversion, e.g., 35,000
TAC is equivalent to 17,500 hours time-in-service (TIS). For
owner/operators who do not track flight cycles, use a 1 to 1
conversion, e.g., 300 flight cycles are equivalent to 300 hours TIS.
(i) For aircraft with more than 35,000 TAC, inspect within the next 300
flight cycles after August 27, 2014 (the effective date of this AD).
(ii) For aircraft with 20,001 - 35,000 TAC, inspect within the next 600
flight cycles after August 27, 2014 (the effective date of this AD).
(iii) For aircraft with 12,000 - 20,000 TAC, inspect within the next 1,000
flight cycles after August 27, 2014 (the effective date of this AD).
(iv) For aircraft with less than 12,000 TAC, inspect at 12,000 flight
cycles or within the next 1,000 flight cycles after August 27, 2014
(the effective date of this AD), whichever occurs later.
(2) If no cracks are found during the inspections required by paragraph
(g)(1) of this AD, repetitively thereafter at intervals not to exceed
2,000 flight cycles do the inspections of the fuselage upper forward
corner and other 3 corners of the main cabin door cutout for cracks
following Table 1 in Step 2. ACCOMPLISHMENT INSTRUCTIONS of M7
Aerospace LLC SA227 Series Commuter Category Service Bulletin CC7-53
-005 or M7 Aerospace LLC SA227 Series Service Bulletin 227-53-009,
both dated November 15, 2013, as applicable.
(h) REPAIR CRACKS AND REPETITIVELY INSPECT
(1) If any cracks are found during any inspection required in paragraph
(g) through paragraph (i) of this AD, before further flight after the
inspection in which a crack is found, repair or replace the cracked
structure following Step 3. REPAIR OF CRACKED INNER DOUBLE, Step 4.
REPAIR OF CRACKED FUSELAGE SKIN, and/or Step 5. REPAIR OF CRACKED
CORNER FITTING of M7 Aerospace LLC SA227 Series Commuter Category
Service Bulletin CC7-53-005, or M7 Aerospace LLC SA227 Series Service
Bulletin 227-53-009, both dated November 15, 2013, as applicable.
(2) If you made the repairs required in paragraph (h)(1) of this AD by in-
stalling repair kit drawing 27K24191-001, do the threshold and repeat
inspections following Table 2 in Step 2. ACCOMPLISHMENT INSTRUCTIONS
of M7 Aerospace LLC SA227 Series Commuter Category Service Bulletin
CC7-53-005, dated November 15, 2013; or M7 Aerospace LLC SA227 Series
Service Bulletin 227-53-009, dated November 15, 2013, as applicable.
(3) If you made the repairs required in paragraph (h)(1) of this AD by re-
placing the fuselage skin by installing repair kit drawing 27K24191
-003, or if the corner fitting was replaced and no other cracks are
present, repetitively thereafter inspect following Table 1 in Step 2.
ACCOMPLISHMENT INSTRUCTIONS of M7 Aerospace LLC SA227 Series Commuter
Category Service Bulletin CC7-53-005, or M7 Aerospace LLC SA227 Series
Service Bulletin 227-53-009, both dated November 15, 2013, as
applicable.
(i) EXTEND REPETITIVE INSPECTION INTERVALS
After any inspection required in paragraph (g)(1) and (g)(2) of this
AD and if no damage, defects, or cracks are found, you may install
repair kit drawing 27K24191-001 following Step 6. ADDITION OF KIT
DRAWING REPAIR MEMBERS AS PREVENTATIVE ACTION of M7 Aerospace LLC
SA227 Series Commuter Category Service Bulletin CC7-53-005, or M7
Aerospace LLC SA227 Series Service Bulletin 227-53-009, both dated
November 15, 2013, as applicable, to extend the inspection intervals.
After installing repair kit drawing 27K24191-001, do the threshold and
repeat inspections following Table 3 of Step 2. ACCOMPLISHMENT
INSTRUCTIONS of M7 Aerospace LLC SA227 Series Commuter Category
Service Bulletin CC7-53-005, or M7 Aerospace LLC SA227 Series Service
Bulletin 227-53-009, both dated November 15, 2013, as applicable.
(j) REPORTING REQUIREMENT
Within 30 days after any inspection required by paragraph (g) through
paragraph (i) of this AD where a crack or any other damage is found,
report the results of that inspection to M7 Aerospace LLC following
the instructions specified in Step 2.I. of the ACCOMPLISHMENT
INSTRUCTIONS of M7 Aerospace LLC SA227 Series Commuter Category
Service Bulletin CC7-53-005, dated November 15, 2013; or Step 2.J. of
the ACCOMPLISHMENT INSTRUCTIONS of M7 Aerospace LLC SA227 Series
Service Bulletin 227-53-009, dated November 15, 2013, as applicable.
(k) CREDIT FOR PREVIOUS REPAIRS
As of August 27, 2014 (the effective date of this AD), owner/operators
who had the an inspection and any resulting repairs done before the
effective date of this AD using procedures different from those
specified in M7 Aerospace LLC SA227 Series Commuter Category Service
Bulletin CC7-53-005, dated November 15, 2013; and M7 Aerospace LLC
SA227 Series Service Bulletin 227-53-009, dated November 15, 2013, may
apply for an alternative method of compliance (AMOC) following the
instructions in paragraph (m) of this AD.
(l) PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT BURDEN STATEMENT
A federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not
required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for
failure to comply with a collection of information subject to the
requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection of
information displays a current valid OMB Control Number. The OMB
Control Number for this information collection is 2120-0056. Public
reporting for this collection of information is estimated to be
approximately 5 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing
instructions, completing and reviewing the collection of information.
All responses to this collection of information are mandatory.
Comments concerning the accuracy of this burden and suggestions for
reducing the burden should be directed to the FAA at: 800 Independence
Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20591, Attn: Information Collection Clearance
Officer, AES-200.
(m) ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF COMPLIANCE (AMOCS)
(1) The Manager, Fort Worth Airplane Certification Office, 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 manager of the ACO, send it to the attention of the
person identified in the Related Information section of this AD.
(2) 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.
(n) RELATED INFORMATION
For more information about this AD, contact Andrew McAnaul, Aerospace
Engineer, FAA, ASW-150 (c/o San Antonio MIDO), 10100 Reunion Place,
Suite 650, San Antonio, Texas 78216; phone: (210) 308-3365; fax: (210)
308-3370; email: andrew.mcanaul@faa.gov.
(o) 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) M7 Aerospace LLC SA227 Series Commuter Category Service Bulletin
CC7-53-005, dated November 15, 2013.
(ii) M7 Aerospace LLC SA227 Series Service Bulletin 227-53-009, dated
November 15, 2013.
(3) For M7 Aerospace LLC service information identified in this AD,
contact M7 Aerospace LLC, 10823 NE Entrance Road, San Antonio, Texas
78216; phone: (210) 824-9421; fax: (210) 804-7766; Internet: http://
www.m7aerospace.com; email: MetroTech@M7Aerospace.com.
(4) You may view this service information at the FAA, Small Airplane
Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information
on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 816-329-4148.
(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 Kansas City, Missouri on July 14, 2014. Kelly A. Broadway,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew McAnaul, Aerospace Engineer, FAA,
ASW-150 (c/o San Antonio MIDO), 10100 Reunion Place, Suite 650, San
Antonio, Texas 78216; phone: (210) 308-3365; fax: (210) 308-3370; email:
andrew.mcanaul@faa.gov.
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for
M7
Aerospace LLC Models SA227-AT, SA227-AC, SA227-BC, SA227-CC, and
SA227- DC airplanes equipped with a bayonet shear pin main cabin door
latching mechanism. This AD was prompted by fatigue cracks found in the
internal door surround doubler, the fuselage external skin, and the door
corner fittings at the fuselage upper forward corner of the main cabin
door
cutout. This AD requires repetitively inspecting the four corners of
the main cabin door cutout for cracks, making necessary repairs, and
reporting inspection results to M7 Aerospace LLC. We are issuing this
AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.
DATES: This AD is effective August 27, 2014.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by
reference of certain publications listed in this AD as of August 27,
2014.
ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this AD, contact
M7
Aerospace LLC, 10823 NE Entrance Road, San Antonio, Texas 78216;
phone: (210) 824-9421; fax: (210) 804-7766; Internet: http://www.
elbitsystems-us.com; email: MetroTech@M7Aerospace.com. You may view
this referenced service information at the FAA, Small Airplane Directorate,
901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the availability
of this material at the FAA, call (816) 329-4148.
Examining the AD Docket
You may examine the AD docket on the Internet at http://
www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2014-
0308; 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew McAnaul, Aerospace
Engineer, FAA, ASW-150 (c/o San Antonio MIDO), 10100 Reunion Place,
Suite 650, San Antonio, Texas 78216; phone: (210) 308-3365; fax: (210)
308-3370; email: andrew.mcanaul@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Discussion
We issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR
part 39 by adding an AD that would apply to M7 Aerospace LLC Models
SA227-AT, SA227-AC, SA227-BC, SA227-CC, and SA227-DC airplanes
equipped with a bayonet shear pin main cabin door latching mechanism.
The NPRM published in the Federal Register on May 14, 2014 (79 FR 27505).
The NPRM was prompted by reports of fatigue cracking of the main
cabin door surround structure. Investigation revealed that the fatigue
cracks are related to a change in loading due to design changes in the
door surround structure and the door latching system. We are issuing
this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products.
Comments
We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing
this AD. We received no comments on the NPRM (79 FR 27505, May 14,
2014) or on the determination of the cost to the public.
Conclusion
We reviewed the relevant data and determined that air safety and
the public interest require adopting this AD as proposed except for
minor editorial. We have determined that these minor changes:
Are consistent with the intent that was proposed in the
NPRM (79 FR 27505, May 14, 2014) for correcting the unsafe condition;
and
Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was
already proposed in the NPRM (79 FR 27505, May 14, 2014).
Costs of Compliance
We estimate that this AD affects 250 airplanes of U.S. registry.
We estimate the following costs to comply with this AD:
Estimated Costs
Action
|
Labor cost
|
Parts cost
|
Cost per
product
|
Cost on
U.S.
operators
|
Threshold high frequency eddy
current (HFEC)/low frequency eddy current (LFEC)/detailed visual inspection. |
2.5 work-hours x $85 per
hour = $212.50 |
Not Applicable |
$212.50
|
$53,125
|
We estimate the following costs to
do any necessary repairs that
will be required based on the results of the inspection. We have no way
of determining the number of aircraft that might need these repairs:
On-Condition Costs
Action
|
Labor cost
|
Parts cost
|
Cost per
product
|
Repair Installation |
48 work-hours x $85 per hour
= $4,080. |
$6,670
|
$10,750
|
Paperwork Reduction Act
A federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not
required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to penalty for
failure to comply with a collection of information subject to the
requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection of
information displays a current valid OMB control number. The control
number for the collection of information required by this AD is 2120-
0056. The paperwork cost associated with this AD has been detailed in
the Costs of Compliance section of this document and includes time for
reviewing instructions, as well as completing and reviewing the
collection of information. Therefore, all reporting associated with
this AD is mandatory. Comments concerning the accuracy of this burden
and suggestions for reducing the burden should be directed to the FAA
at 800 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20591. ATTN: Information
Collection Clearance Officer, AES-200.
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, 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
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]
2. The FAA amends Sec. 39.13 by adding the following new airworthiness
directive (AD):
|