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2014-16-14 THE BOEING COMPANY:
Amendment 39-17938; Docket No. FAA-2014-0122; Directorate Identifier 2014-NM-002-AD.

(a) EFFECTIVE DATE

    This AD is effective September 23, 2014.

(b) AFFECTED ADS

    None.

(c) APPLICABILITY

    This  AD  applies  to  The Boeing Company Model  737-600, -700, -700C,
    -800,  and -900  series airplanes,  certificated in  any category,  as
    identified  in  Boeing  Alert  Service  Bulletin  737-22A1215,   dated
    November 22, 2013.

(d) SUBJECT

    Air Transport Association (ATA) of America Code 22, Auto Flight.

(e) UNSAFE CONDITION

    This  AD  was  prompted  by reports  in  which  a  single, undetected,
    erroneous  radio altimeter  output caused  the autothrottle  to  enter
    landing flare retard mode prematurely on approach. We are issuing this
    AD to prevent a  single, undetected, erroneous radio  altimeter output
    from  causing   premature  autothrottle   landing  flare   retard  and
    subsequent loss of automatic speed control, which could result in loss
    of control of the airplane.

(f) COMPLIANCE

    Comply  with this  AD within  the compliance  times specified,  unless
    already done.

(g) REPLACEMENT

    Within 36 months after the effective  date of this AD, do the  actions
    specified in paragraphs  (g)(1) and (g)(2)  of this AD,  in accordance
    with the Accomplishment Instructions of Boeing Alert Service  Bulletin
    737-22A1215, dated November 22, 2013.

(1) Remove any autothrottle computer,  part number (P/N) 760SUE1-1 (Boeing
    P/N  10-62017-51),   760SUE2-2  (Boeing  P/N  10-62017-52),  760SUE2-3
    (Boeing P/N 10-62017-53),  or 760SUE2-4 (Boeing P/N 10-62017-54), from
    the E1-1 electronics shelf.

(2) Install a new or reworked autothrottle computer, P/N 760SUE2-5 (Boeing
    P/N 10-62017-55) at the E1-1 electronics shelf.

(h) PARTS INSTALLATION PROHIBITION

    As of the effective date of this AD,  no person may install  an  auto-
    throttle  computer,  P/N 760SUE1-1 (Boeing P/N 10-62017-51), 760SUE2-2
    (Boeing  P/N  10-62017-52),  760SUE2-3  (Boeing  P/N  10-62017-53), or
    760SUE2-4 (Boeing P/N 10-62017-54), on any airplane.

(i) ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF COMPLIANCE (AMOCS)

(1) The Manager, Seattle 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.  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 paragraph  (j) of  this AD.  Information may  be
    emailed to: 9-ANM-Seattle-ACO-AMOC-Requests@faa.gov.

(2) Before using any approved AMOC,  notify your appropriate principal in-
    spector, or lacking  a principal inspector,  the manager of  the local
    flight standards district office/certificate holding district office.

(j) RELATED INFORMATION

    For more information about this AD, contact Marie Hogestad,  Aerospace
    Engineer,  Systems  and  Equipment  Branch,  ANM-130S,  FAA,   Seattle
    Aircraft Certification Office, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA  98057
    -3356; phone: 425-917-6418; fax: 425-917-6590;  email: marie.hogestad@
    faa.gov.

(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) Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 737-22A1215, dated November 22, 2013.

(ii) Reserved.

(3) For  service  information  identified  in  this  AD,   contact  Boeing
    Commercial Airplanes,  Attention: Data & Services Management, P.O. Box
    3707, MC 2H-65, Seattle, WA 98124-2207; telephone 206-544-5000, exten-
    sion 1; fax 206-766-5680; Internet https://www.myboeingfleet.com.

(4) You may view this service information at the FAA,  Transport  Airplane
    Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW, Renton, WA 98057. 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  August 1, 2014.  Jeffrey  E.  Duven,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.

FOR  FURTHER  INFORMATION  CONTACT:  Marie  Hogestad,  Aerospace Engineer,
Systems   and   Equipment   Branch,   ANM-130S,   FAA,   Seattle  Aircraft
Certification Office, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057-3356;  phone:
425-917-6418; fax: 425-917-6590; email: marie.hogestad@faa.gov.
PREAMBLE 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain
The Boeing Company Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, and -900 series
airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports in which a single,
undetected, erroneous radio altimeter output caused the autothrottle to
enter landing flare retard mode prematurely on approach. This AD
requires removing certain autothrottle computers and installing a new
or reworked autothrottle computer. We are issuing this AD to prevent a
single, undetected, erroneous radio altimeter output from causing
premature autothrottle landing flare retard and subsequent loss of
automatic speed control, which could result in loss of control of the
airplane.

DATES: This AD is effective September 23, 2014.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by
reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of September
23, 2014.

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this AD, contact
Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Attention: Data & Services Management,
P.O. Box 3707, MC 2H-65, Seattle, WA 98124-2207; telephone 206-544-
5000, extension 1; fax 206-766-5680; Internet https://www.myboeingfleet.
com. You may view this referenced service information
at the FAA, Transport Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW.,
Renton, WA 98057. For information on the availability of this material
at the FAA, call 425-227-2112.

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-
0122; 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 Docket 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: Marie Hogestad, Aerospace Engineer,
Systems and Equipment Branch, ANM-130S, FAA, Seattle Aircraft
Certification Office, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA 98057-3356;
phone: 425-917-6418; fax: 425-917-6590; email: marie.hogestad@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 certain The Boeing Company
Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, and -900 series airplanes. The NPRM
published in the Federal Register on March 3, 2014 (79 FR 11728). The
NPRM was prompted by reports in which a single, undetected, erroneous
radio altimeter output caused the autothrottle to enter landing flare
retard mode prematurely on approach. The NPRM proposed to require
removing certain autothrottle computers and installing a new or
reworked autothrottle computer. We are issuing this AD to prevent a
single, undetected, erroneous radio altimeter output from causing
premature autothrottle landing flare retard and subsequent loss of
automatic speed control, which could result in loss of control of the
airplane.

Comments

We gave the public the opportunity to participate in developing
this AD. The following presents the comments received on the NPRM (79
FR 11728, March 3, 2014) and the FAA's response to each comment.

Support for the NPRM (79 FR 11728, March 3, 2014)

Boeing and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
concurred with the NPRM (79 FR 11728, March 3, 2014).

Clarification of Effect of Winglet Installation

Aviation Partners Boeing stated that installation of winglets per
Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) ST00830SE does not affect the
accomplishment of the manufacturer's service instructions specified in
the NPRM (79 FR 11728, March 3, 2014).

Request To Change Cost Estimate

Kevin Lee, a private citizen, requested that we increase the cost
estimate of the NPRM (79 FR 11728, March 3, 2014). The commenter stated
that the cost will be significantly higher due to General Electric not
providing a free-of-charge upgrade to the autothrottle computer despite
this being a safety and reliability issue.
We disagree with increasing the cost estimate. The cost estimate
does not include parts cost for the autothrottle computer because it is
considered ``Parts and Materials Supplied by the Operator'' in Boeing
Alert Service Bulletin 737-22A1215, dated November 22, 2013. The
autothrottle computer software can be updated using a data loader on a
bench with specific equipment that is unique to the GE autothrottle
computer. However, since this autothrottle computer has been out of
production for over ten years, it is unlikely that operators will have
the capability to do the update themselves using a disc supplied by GE.
Therefore, GE anticipates that the majority of operators will return
their autothrottle computer to a GE service center for modification. As
an alternative, operators may purchase the autothrottle computer from
Boeing. Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 737-22A1215, dated November 22,
2013, does not give the cost and it is therefore not included in our
estimate. Since there are multiple ways for operators to get an updated
autothrottle computer, we have not included the cost of the
autothrottle computer in our estimate. We also do not control warranty
coverage. No change has been made to this final rule in this regard.

Request To Delay Issuance or Extend Compliance Time of Final Rule

Kevin Lee requested that we delay issuance of the final rule, or
extend the proposed 36-month compliance time specified in the NPRM (79
FR 11728, March 3, 2014). The commenter stated that Boeing has not
incorporated the new GE autothrottle computer having part number (P/N)
760SUE2-5 into their Boeing 737 Illustrated Parts Catalog (IPC) or the
Instructions for Continued Airworthiness documents.
We disagree with delaying issuance of this final rule. Paragraph
1.K. of Boeing Alert Service Bulletin 737-22A1215, dated November 22,
2013, identifies the Boeing 737 IPC as the only document affected by
replacement of the autothrottle computer. The new autothrottle computer
has been added to the IPC, therefore there is no need to delay issuance
of the final rule.
We also disagree with extending the 36-month compliance time. In
developing an appropriate compliance time for this action, we
considered the urgency associated with the subject unsafe condition,
the availability of required parts, and the practical aspect of
accomplishing the required modification within a period of time that
corresponds to the normal scheduled maintenance for most affected
operators. According to the manufacturer, an ample number of required
parts will be available to modify the U.S. fleet within the proposed
compliance time. However, under the provisions of paragraph (i) of this
final rule, we will consider requests for approval of an extension of
the compliance time if sufficient data are submitted to substantiate
that the new compliance time would provide an acceptable level of
safety.
We have not changed the AD in regard to either delaying the final
rule or extending the 36-month compliance time.

Conclusion

We reviewed the relevant data, considered the comments received,
and determined that air safety and the public interest require adopting
this AD as proposed except for minor editorial changes. We have
determined that these minor changes:
Are consistent with the intent that was proposed in the
NPRM (79 FR 11728, March 3, 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 11728, March 3, 2014).
We also determined that these changes will not increase the
economic burden on any operator or increase the scope of this AD.

Costs of Compliance

We estimate that this AD affects 497 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
Autothrottle computer replacement 1 work-hour x $85 per hour = $85.
$0
$85
$42,245

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):