DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2014-0651; Directorate Identifier 2014-NM-043-AD;
Amendment 39-18850; AD 2017-08-01]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2013-22-19 for
all Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model GV and GV-SP airplanes. AD
2013-22-19 required inspecting to determine if fuel boost pumps having
a certain part number were installed, replacing the fuel boost pumps
having a certain part number, and revising the airplane maintenance
program to include revised Instructions for Continued Airworthiness.
This new AD reduces the compliance time for revising the airplane
maintenance or inspection program. This AD was prompted by reports of
two independent types of failure of the fuel boost pump with overheat
damage found on the internal components and external housing on one of
the failure types, and fuel leakage on the other. We are issuing this
AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: This AD is effective May 17, 2017.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by
reference of certain publications listed in this AD as of May 17, 2017.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by
reference of certain other publications listed in this AD as of January
7, 2014 (78 FR 72554, December 3, 2013).

ADDRESSES: For Gulfstream, Triumph Aerostructures, and General Electric
Aviation service information identified in this final rule, contact
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, Technical Publications Dept., P.O.
Box 2206, Savannah, GA 31402-2206; telephone 800-810-4853; fax 912 965-
3520; email pubs@gulfstream.com; Internet http://www.gulfstream.com/product_support/technical_pubs/pubs/index.htm.
You may view 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-2014-0651.

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-
0651; 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: Ky Phan, Aerospace Engineer,
Propulsion and Services Branch, ACE-118A, FAA, Atlanta ACO, 1701
Columbia Avenue, College Park, GA 30337; phone: 404-474-5536; fax: 404-
474-5606; email: ky.phan@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

We issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) to
amend 14 CFR part 39 to supersede AD 2013-22-19, Amendment 39-17651 (78
FR 72554, December 3, 2013) (``AD 2013-22-19''). AD 2013-22-19 applied
to all Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model GV and GV-SP airplanes.
The SNPRM published in the Federal Register on December 24, 2015 (80 FR
80295). We preceded the SNPRM with a notice of proposed rulemaking
(NPRM) that published in the Federal Register on October 1, 2014 (79 FR
59162) (``the NPRM''). The NPRM proposed to supersede AD 2013-22-19.
The NPRM was prompted by reports of two independent types of failure of
the fuel boost pump with overheat damage on the internal components and
external housing on one of the failure types, and fuel leakage on the
other. The SNPRM proposed to reduce the compliance time for revising
the airplane maintenance or inspection program. We are issuing this
AD to prevent fuel leakage in combination with a capacitor clearance
issue, which could result in an uncontrolled fire in the wheel well.

Comments

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

Request for Access to Earlier Revisions of the Service Information

NetJets requested that we provide a source for earlier revisions of
the required service information. NetJets stated that the NPRM
specifies that the required service information is available from
Gulfstream's Web site. NetJets stated that the Gulfstream Web site
currently provides only the latest revision of each airplane
maintenance manual (AMM) without the option to obtain earlier
revisions, which will be incorporated by reference (IBR) in the AD.
We acknowledge NetJets' request. While previous revisions of the
service information are not available through Gulfstream's Web site,
operators may contact Gulfstream directly to obtain this information as
specified in paragraph (p)(5) of this AD. We have updated this AD to
reference the latest service information, which is available to
operators through Gulfstream's Web site. We have not changed this final
rule regarding this issue.

Request To Change the Term "Replacing" in Paragraph (b) of the
Proposed AD

NetJets requested that we define the authority and meaning of the
term ``replaces'' in regards to ADs. NetJets also requested that we
revise the FAA's AD Manual, dated May 17, 2010 (FAA-IR-M-8040.1C).
NetJets stated that ``replaces'' is not defined in the FAA's AD Manual
or in other FAA guidance. NetJets commented that the FAA AD Manual
defines the means of changing existing AD requirements to be through a
``superseding AD action.'' NetJets also stated that the SUMMARY section
of the SNRPM also uses the term ``supersede.''
We agree to clarify the use of the term ``replaces'' in regards to
ADs. The term ``replaces'' in paragraph (b) of this AD is amendatory
terminology required by the Office of the Federal Register. However, we
use the term ``supersede'' or ``superseding'' in the SUMMARY section of
AD actions because the FAA's AD Manual, dated May 17, 2010 (FAA-IR-M-
8040.1C), does not use the term ``replaces'' when referring to an AD
that supersedes or is superseded by another AD. As stated in the FAA AD
Manual, we issue a supersedure when we need to correct an error that
affects the substance of the AD or to expand the scope of the existing
AD. We expect that the next revision of the FAA's AD Manual will
incorporate the amendatory terminology required by the Office of the
Federal Register. No change to this AD is necessary in this regard.

Request To Revise the SNPRM for Airplanes Inspected Under 14 CFR
91.409(e)

An anonymous commenter requested that we revise paragraph (i) of
the proposed AD (in the SNPRM) to include a statement that the proposed
requirements would not be required for those airplanes inspected under
a 14 CFR 91.409(e) inspection program. The commenter stated that Task
28-26-01 is already mandated by the FAA-approved Airworthiness
Limitations Section (ALS), which already mandates the task to be
performed per the requirements of the ALS. Therefore, the commenter
asserts that paragraph (i) of the proposed AD (in the SNPRM) is
unnecessary for airplanes inspected under a 14 CFR 91.409(e) inspection
program.
We disagree with the commenter's request. While 14 CFR 91.409(e)
requires operators of turbojet multi-engine airplanes to comply with
the replacement times of life-limited parts, 14 CFR 91.409(e) does not
require operators to use later revisions of the AMMs that are specified
in the type certificate. This AD is necessary in order to require
revising the maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to
include the fuel leak check inspection of the fuel boost pumps
specified in the applicable task identified in paragraph (j) of this
AD. Paragraph (j) of this AD identifies specific revisions of the AMM,
which are required for compliance with this AD. We have not changed
this AD in this regard.

Requests To Refer To Correct Location of Task

NetJets and an anonymous commenter requested that we revise
paragraph (j) of the proposed AD (in the SNPRM) to refer to table 12,
Certification Maintenance Requirements (CMR), in section 05-10-10,
Airworthiness Limitations, of chapter 05, Time Limits/Maintenance
Checks, of the applicable Gulfstream AMM. NetJets stated that paragraph
(j) of the proposed AD (in the SNPRM) instead specifies the use of
table 18, 500 Flight Hours Scheduled Inspection Table, in section 05-
20-00, Scheduled Maintenance Checks. NetJets and the anonymous
commenter stated that this task does not exist in section 05-20-00 of
the current AMM; it is now found in table 12, Certification Maintenance
Requirements (CMR), in section 05-10-10, Airworthiness Limitations, of
chapter 05, Time Limits/Maintenance Checks, of the applicable
Gulfstream AMM.
We agree with the commenters' requests for the reasons stated
above. We have updated paragraphs (j)(1), (j)(2), and (j)(3) of this AD
to refer to the correct table and section where the specified task is
found. In addition, we have added paragraph (k) to this AD to provide
credit for actions specified in paragraph (i) of this AD that are done
before the effective date of this AD using the service information
specified in paragraph (k) of this AD. We have re-designated subsequent
paragraphs accordingly.

Request To Add "or Later FAA-Approved Revision"

NetJets requested that we revise paragraph (j) of the proposed AD
(in the SNPRM) to add ``or later FAA-approved revision.'' NetJets
stated that section 05-20-00, Scheduled Maintenance Checks, of chapter
05, Time Limits/Maintenance Checks; and task 28-26-01, Fuel Boost
Pumps--Fuel Leak Check, of chapter 28, Fuel; of the Gulfstream V AMM
are now at Revision 44, dated June 15, 2016. NetJets commented that
referring to a previous revision of the AMM would result in an
immediate petition for approval of an alternate method of compliance
(AMOC) with the newly revised document. NetJets stated that this narrow
language would require the operator to obtain an AMOC for each future
revision of the AMM.
NetJets further requested that, if the ``later approved revisions''
language cannot be added, the latest revisions of the AMMs be added as
a method of compliance in paragraph (j) of the proposed AD.
We disagree with the commenter's request to add language allowing
use of later revisions. We cannot use the phrase ``or later FAA-
approved revisions'' in an AD when referring to the service document.
Doing so violates Office of the Federal Register's (OFR) regulations
for approval of materials ``incorporated by reference'' in rules. See 1
CFR 51.1(f).
However, as we stated previously, we have updated this AD to refer
to the current service information. Operators must request approval to
use later revisions of the service information as an AMOC with this AD
under the provisions of paragraph (n) of this AD. We have made no
further change to this AD in this regard.

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
SNPRM for correcting the unsafe condition; and
Do not add any additional burden upon the public than was
already proposed in the SNPRM.
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 Gulfstream G500 Customer Bulletin 122, dated April 11,
2012 (for Model GV-SP airplanes designated as G500). This service
information describes procedures for inspecting and replacing the fuel
boost pumps.
We have also reviewed the following service information, as
applicable, which describes, among other actions, a fuel leak check of
the fuel boost pumps, and provides inspection intervals. These service
documents are unique because they apply to different airplane models.
Table 12, Certification Maintenance Requirements (CMR), in
section 05-10-10, Airworthiness Limitations, of chapter 05, Time
Limits/Maintenance Checks, of the Gulfstream V Maintenance Manual,
Revision 44, dated June 15, 2016.
Task 28-26-01, Fuel Boost Pumps--Fuel Leak Check, of
section 28-26-01, Fuel Boost Pumps--Inspection/Check, of chapter 28,
Fuel, of the Gulfstream V Maintenance Manual, Revision 44, dated June
15, 2016.
Table 12, Certification Maintenance Requirements (CMR), in
section 05-10-10, Airworthiness Limitations, of chapter 05, Time
Limits/Maintenance Checks, of the Gulfstream G500 Maintenance Manual,
Revision 25, dated June 15, 2016.
Task 28-26-01, Fuel Boost Pumps--Fuel Leak Check, of
section 28-26-01, Fuel Boost Pumps--Fuel Leak Checks, of chapter 28,
Fuel, of the Gulfstream G500 Maintenance Manual, Revision 25, dated
June 15, 2016.
Table 12, Certification Maintenance Requirements (CMR), in
section 05-10-10, Airworthiness Limitations, of chapter 05, Time
Limits/Maintenance Checks, of the Gulfstream G550 Maintenance Manual,
Revision 25, dated June 15, 2016.
Task 28-26-01, Fuel Boost Pumps--Fuel Leak Check, of
section 28-26-01, Fuel Boost Pumps--Inspection/Check, of chapter 28,
Fuel, of the Gulfstream G550 Maintenance Manual, Revision 25, dated
June 15, 2016.
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 will affect 357 airplanes of U.S.
registry.
We estimate the following costs to comply with this AD:

Estimated Costs

We estimate the following costs to do any necessary replacements
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
replacements:

On-Condition Cost

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

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 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 removing Airworthiness Directive (AD)
2013-22-19, Amendment 39-17651 (78 FR 72554, December 3, 2013), and
adding the following new AD: