DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2016-3705; Directorate Identifier 2015-NM-168-AD;
Amendment 39-18837; AD 2017-06-13]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Textron Aviation Inc. (Type Certificate
Previously Held by Cessna Aircraft Company) Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain
Textron Aviation Inc. (Textron) Model 680 airplanes. This AD was
prompted by Textron's report of a manufacturing defect that affects the
durability of the aft canted bulkhead metallic structure. This AD
requires repetitive inspections of the aft canted bulkhead; repair if
necessary; and a modification, which would terminate the repetitive
inspections. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on
these products.

DATES: This AD is effective May 2, 2017.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by
reference of certain publications listed in this AD as of May 2, 2017.

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this final rule,
contact Textron Aviation Inc., P.O. Box 7706, Wichita, KS 67277;
telephone 316-517-6215; fax 316-517-5802; email citationpubs@txtav.com;
Internet https://support.cessna.com/custsupt/csupport/newlogin.jsp. You
may review this referenced service information at the FAA, Transport
Airplane Directorate, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, WA. For information
on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 425-227-1221. It
is also available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov by
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2016-3705.

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-2016-
3705; 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: Phuoc Le, Aerospace Engineer, Airframe
Branch, ACE-118W, Wichita Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), FAA,
1801 Airport Road, Room 100, Dwight D. Eisenhower Airport, Wichita, KS
67209; phone: 316-946-4195; fax: 316-946-4107; email: phuoc.le@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 Textron Aviation
Inc. Model 680 airplanes. The NPRM published in the Federal Register on
February 26, 2016 (81 FR 9790) (``the NPRM''). The NPRM was prompted by
Textron's report of a manufacturing defect that affects the durability
of the aft canted bulkhead metallic structure. The manufacturing defect
directly affects the bond integrity of the vertical and horizontal
stiffeners on the aft canted bulkhead metallic structure. The NPRM
proposed to require repetitive inspections of the aft canted bulkhead
and repair if necessary. The NPRM also proposed to require a
modification which would terminate the repetitive inspections. We are
issuing this AD to prevent disbonding of the horizontal and vertical
stiffeners on the aft canted bulkhead. Loss of bond integrity could
result in a structural failure that could lead to separation of the
cruciform tail and 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 and
the FAA's response to each comment.

Request To Limit Findings to "Disbonding"

NetJets Aviation, Inc. (NetJets) requested that we revise paragraph
(h) of the proposed AD to remove ``cracked paint'' as a possible
finding from the inspection. NetJets acknowledged that cracked paint,
while not a safety concern on its own, should be investigated to ensure
that it is not evidence of disbonding. NetJets indicated that the
requirement for a disbond to be repaired per an alternative method of
compliance (AMOC) is sufficient to ensure that the safety concern is
addressed appropriately.
We agree with the commenter that cracked paint may not be a safety
concern on its own; however it is evidence that a disbond of the
structure may have occurred and should be investigated further to
ensure there is no evidence of disbonding. Thus, if cracked paint is
found, operators must contact the FAA for procedures to determine
whether the cracked paint was an indication of disbonding. We have
revised paragraph (h) of this AD to clarify that operators must obtain
instructions from the FAA and comply with those instructions.

Request To Have Cessna Engineering Drawing Be Made Available

NetJets indicated that paragraph (n)(2) of the proposed AD states
that the required service information is available from Textron.
However, Netjets stated that Textron does not provide owners/operators
with access to Cessna Engineering Drawing 6991115 (``Drawing
6991115''), which is required for compliance with paragraph (i) of the
proposed AD. NetJets added that the required service information is not
available at the Federal Register and is not available to owners/
operators through the source identified in the proposed AD. NetJets
indicated that Cessna Service Bulletin SB680-53-08, dated September 28,
2015, states that only Textron-owned service centers can complete the
modification and have access to Drawing 6991115. NetJets stated that
access to Drawing 6991115 should be made available to owners/operators,
and the proposed AD should state that compliance at a Textron-owned
service center is not required by the AD.
We acknowledge that Drawing 6991115 is not available to owners/
operators. However, drawing 6991115 is only used for an airplane that
is modified at a Textron-owned service center. Cessna Service Bulletin
SB680-53-08, Revision 2, dated November 2, 2016 (``SB680-53-08,
Revision 2'') (issued after the NPRM was published), includes a
reference to Cessna Engineering Drawing 6991119 (``Drawing 6991119''),
which should be available to owners/operators and contains approved
data for owners/operators who choose to modify their airplanes at a
non-Textron-owned service center. We have revised paragraph (i) of this
AD to refer to SB680-53-08, Revision 2.

Request To Include the Revision Level for Cessna Engineering Drawing

NetJets requested that the revision level for Drawing 6991115 be
added to paragraph (i) of the proposed AD, and that paragraph (i) of
the proposed AD allow later revisions to Drawing 6991115. Paragraph (i)
of the proposed AD would require compliance with Cessna Service
Bulletin SB680-53-08, dated September 28, 2015, which contains a
reference to the modification instructions contained in Drawing
6991115. Because neither Cessna Service Bulletin SB680-53-08, dated
September 28, 2015, nor paragraph (i) of the proposed AD specifies the
revision level of Drawing 6991115 that would be required for compliance
with the proposed AD, NetJets asserted that it is not possible for an
owner/operator to comply with its responsibility to ensure that FAA
approval was obtained.
We partially agree that there is a need to specify acceptable
revision levels of Drawing 6991115. However, with the release of SB680-
53-08, Revision 2, Drawing 6991115 is no longer applicable for the
owners/operators who elect to accomplish SB680-53-08, Revision 2, at a
non-Textron facility. Instead, the revision levels of Drawing 6991119
are now applicable for the owners/operators who will accomplish SB680-
53-08, Revision 2, at a non-Textron facility. Although SB680-53-08,
Revision 2, specifies using the latest revision of Drawing 6991119,
this AD allows use of any revision level of that drawing. We have added
paragraph (k) to this AD to specify this provision; subsequent
paragraphs have been redesignated accordingly. We have reviewed all
existing revisions of Drawing 6991119, and have found all to be
acceptable. In addition, paragraph (i) of this AD has been revised to
specify compliance with SB680-53-08, Revision 2.

Conclusion

We reviewed the relevant data, considered the comments received,
and determined that air safety and the public interest require adopting
this AD with the changes described previously and minor editorial
changes. We have determined that these minor changes:
Are consistent with the intent that was proposed in the
NPRM for correcting the unsafe condition; and
Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was
already proposed in the NPRM.
We also determined that these changes will not increase the
economic burden on any operator or increase the scope of this AD.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

We reviewed the following Cessna service information.
Cessna Service Letter SL680-53-05, Revision 2, dated
September 30, 2015. The service information describes procedures for a
general visual inspection for disbonding and paint cracking around the
edges of the stiffeners on the aft canted bulkhead.
Cessna Service Bulletin SB680-53-08, Revision 2, dated
November 2, 2016. The service information describes procedures for
modifying the airplane by installing additional stiffeners to the aft
canted bulkhead.
This service information is reasonably available because the
interested parties have access to it through their normal course of
business or by the means identified in the ADDRESSES section.

Costs of Compliance

We estimate that this AD affects 123 airplanes of U.S. registry. We
estimate the following costs to comply with this AD:

Estimated Costs

We have received no definitive data that would enable us to provide
cost estimates for the on-condition actions specified in this AD.
According to the manufacturer, some of the costs of this AD may be
covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on affected
individuals. We do not control warranty coverage for affected
individuals. As a result, we have included all costs in our cost
estimate.

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):