DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2018-0162; Product Identifier 2017-NM-116-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: We propose to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2016-18-
01, which applies to certain The Boeing Company Model 737-600, -700,
-700C, -800, -900, and -900ER series airplanes. AD 2016-18-01 requires
repetitive lubrication of the forward and aft trunnion pin assemblies
of the right and left main landing gears (MLGs); repetitive inspection
of these assemblies for corrosion and chrome damage, and related
investigative and corrective actions, if necessary; and installation of
new or modified trunnion pin assembly components, which terminates the
repetitive lubrication and repetitive inspections. Since we issued AD
2016-18-01, we have determined that rotable parts were not addressed in
that AD and that all airplanes of the affected models, excluding those
with a certain configuration, should be inspected to determine if
affected MLG trunnion pin assemblies are installed. This proposed AD
would therefore add airplanes to the applicability. We are proposing
this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by April 19,
2018.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in
14 CFR
11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
Fax: 202-493-2251.
Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
For service information identified in this NPRM, contact Boeing
Commercial Airplanes, Attention: Contractual & Data Services (C&DS),
2600 Westminster Blvd., MC 110-SK57, Seal Beach, CA 90740-5600;
telephone 562-797-1717; internet https://www.myboeingfleet.com. You may
view this service information at the FAA, Transport Standards Branch,
2200 South 216th St., Des Moines, WA. For information on the
availability of this material at the FAA, call 206-231-3195. It is also
available on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov by searching
for and locating Docket No. FAA-2018-0162.
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-2018-0162;
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 NPRM, the regulatory evaluation, any comments received,
and other information. The street address for the Docket Office (phone:
800-647-5527) is in the ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available
in the AD docket shortly after receipt.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alan Pohl, Aerospace Engineer,
Airframe Section, FAA, Seattle ACO Branch, 2200 South 216th St., Des
Moines, WA 98198; telephone and fax: 206-231-3527; email:
alan.pohl@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
We invite you to send any written relevant data, views, or
arguments about this proposal. Send your comments to an address listed
under the ADDRESSES section. Include "Docket No. FAA-2018-0162;
Product Identifier 2017-NM-116-AD" at the beginning of your comments.
We specifically invite comments on the overall regulatory, economic,
environmental, and energy aspects of this NPRM. We will consider all
comments received by the closing date and may amend this NPRM because
of those comments.
We will post all comments we receive, without change, to http://www.
regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. We
will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact we
receive about this proposed AD.
Discussion
We issued AD 2016-18-01, Amendment 39-18631 (81 FR 59830, August
31, 2016) ("AD 2016-18-01"), for certain The Boeing Company Model
737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900, and -900ER series airplanes. AD 2016-
18-01 requires repetitive lubrication of the forward and aft trunnion
pin assemblies of the right and left MLGs; repetitive inspection of
these assemblies for corrosion and chrome damage, and related
investigative and corrective actions, if necessary; and installation of
new or modified trunnion pin assembly components, which terminates the
repetitive lubrication and repetitive inspections. AD 2016-18-01
resulted from reports of heavy corrosion and chrome damage on the
forward and aft trunnion pin assemblies of the right and left MLGs. We
issued AD 2016-18-01 to detect and correct heavy corrosion and chrome
damage on the forward and aft trunnion pin assemblies of the right and
left MLGs, which could result in cracking of these assemblies and
collapse of the MLGs.
Actions Since AD 2016-18-01 Was Issued
To support operations, many operators have put processes in place
that, given certain conditions, allow them to rotate or transfer parts
or equipment within their fleets to different aircraft than what is
defined in the manufacturer's type design. We have determined that the
parts or equipment subject to the unsafe condition addressed by this
proposed AD may have been rotated or transferred in this manner, due to
similarity with parts or equipment not subject to the unsafe condition
addressed by this proposed AD. Therefore, AD 2016-18-01 is being
superseded to include all Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900, and
-900ER airplanes.
Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51
We reviewed Boeing Special Attention Service Bulletin 737-32-1448,
Revision 2, dated August 2, 2017 ("BSASB 737-32-1448, R2"). This
service information describes procedures for determining the part
numbers of the forward and aft trunnion pin assemblies installed on the
right and left MLGs, inspections for corrosion or damage on the forward
and aft trunnion pin assemblies and related investigative and
corrective actions, repetitive lubrication of these assemblies, and
installation of new or modified trunnion pin assembly components. 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.
FAA's Determination
We are proposing this AD because we evaluated all the relevant
information and determined the unsafe condition described previously is
likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design.
Proposed AD Requirements
This proposed AD would retain all requirements of AD 2016-18-01.
This proposed AD would add airplanes to the applicability. This
proposed AD would also prohibit the installation of a MLG or MLG
trunnion pin assembly on any airplane identified in paragraph (c) of
the proposed AD unless certain actions are accomplished. In addition,
this proposed AD would require accomplishing the actions specified in
the service information described previously, except as discussed under
"Differences Between this Proposed AD and the Service Information."
For information on the procedures and compliance times, see this
service information at http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and
locating Docket No. FAA-2018-0162.
The phrase "related investigative actions" is used in this
proposed AD. Related investigative actions are follow-on actions that
(1) are related to the primary action, and (2) further investigate the
nature of any condition found. Related investigative actions in an AD
could include, for example, inspections.
The phrase "corrective actions" is used in this proposed AD.
Corrective actions correct or address any condition found. Corrective
actions in an AD could include, for example, repairs.
Differences Between This Proposed AD and the Service Information
The effectivity specified in BSASB 737-32-1448, R2 consists of
Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900, and -900ER airplanes identified
as line numbers 1 through 6510 inclusive. Expanding the applicability
of this proposed AD to all Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900, and
-900ER airplanes addresses the rotability of the MLG trunnion pin
assembly.
In this proposed AD, operators would need to accomplish the actions
required by paragraphs (g), (h), (i), (j) and (k) of this proposed AD,
and comply with the parts installation prohibition in paragraph (m) of
this proposed AD, on any Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900, and -
900ER airplanes with an original Certificate of Airworthiness or an
original Export Certificate of Airworthiness dated on or before the
effective date of the final rule. We have confirmed with Boeing that
the accomplishment instructions in BSASB 737-32-1448, R2 are applicable
to these expanded groups of airplanes.
For Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900, and -900ER airplanes
with an original Certificate of Airworthiness or an original Export
Certificate of Airworthiness dated after the effective date of the
final rule, operators would not be required to comply with the
requirements of paragraphs (g), (h), (i), (j), and (k) of this proposed
AD, but would be required to comply with the parts installation
prohibition in paragraph (m) of this proposed AD.
Costs of Compliance
We estimate that this proposed AD affects up to 1,814 airplanes of
U.S. registry. We estimate the following costs to comply with this
proposed AD:
Estimated Costs
Action |
Labor cost |
Parts cost |
Cost per product |
Cost on U.S. operators |
Lubrication (retained actions
from AD 2016-18-01) |
2 work-hours x $85 per hour =
$170 per lubrication cycle |
0 |
$170 per lubrication cycle |
$173,910, per lubrication cycle
(1,023 airplanes) |
Inspection (Groups 1 and 2, Configuration
1 airplanes; retained actions from AD 2016-18-01) |
51 work-hours x $85 per hour
= $4,335 per inspection cycle |
0 |
$4,335 per inspection cycle |
$4,282,980 per inspection cycle
(988 airplanes) |
Inspection (Group 3 airplanes;
retained actions from AD 2016-18-01) |
93 work-hours x $85 per hour
= $7,905 per inspection cycle |
0 |
$7,905 per inspection cycle |
$276,675 per inspection cycle
(35 airplanes) |
Replacement/overhaul (Groups
1 and 2 airplanes; retained actions from AD 2016-18-01) |
84 work-hours x $85 per hour
= $7,140 |
0 |
$7,140 |
$7,054,320 (988 airplanes) |
Replacement/overhaul (Group 3
airplanes retained actions from AD 2016-18-01) |
86 work-hours x $85 per hour
= $7,310 |
0 |
$7,310 |
$255,850 (35 airplanes) |
Lubrication pin assemblies (new
proposed action, Work Packages 1 and 2) |
2 work-hours x $85 per hour =
$170 per lubrication cycle |
0 |
$170 per lubrication cycle |
$308,380, per lubrication cycle
(up to 1,814 airplanes) |
Inspection (new proposed action;
Groups 3 and 6 airplanes; Work Package 2) |
51 work-hours x $85 per hour
= $4,335 per inspection cycle |
0 |
$4,335 per inspection cycle |
$7,594,920 per inspection cycle
(1,752 airplanes) |
Inspection (new proposed action;
Groups 1, 2, 4, and 5, Configuration 1 airplanes; Work Package 2) |
93 work-hours x $85 per hour
= $7,905 per inspection cycle |
0 |
$7,905 per inspection cycle |
$490,110 per inspection cycle
(62 airplanes) |
Replacement/overhaul trunnion
pin assembly (Groups 1, 2, 4, and 5 airplanes; new proposed action;
Work Package 2) |
84 work-hours x $85 per hour
= $7,140 |
0 |
$7,140 |
$12,509,280 (up to 1,752 airplanes) |
Replacement/overhaul trunnion
pin assembly (Groups 3 and 6 airplanes; new proposed action; Work
Package 2) |
86 work-hours x $85 per hour
= $7,310 |
0 |
$7,310 |
$453,220 (62 airplanes) |
We have received no definitive data
that would enable us to provide
cost estimates for the on-condition actions specified in this proposed
AD.
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.
This proposed AD is issued in accordance with authority delegated
by the Executive Director, Aircraft Certification Service, as
authorized by FAA Order 8000.51C. In accordance with that order,
issuance of ADs is normally a function of the Compliance and
Airworthiness Division, but during this transition period, the
Executive Director has delegated the authority to issue ADs applicable
to transport category airplanes to the Director of the System Oversight
Division.
Regulatory Findings
We have determined that this proposed AD would not have federalism
implications under Executive Order 13132. This proposed AD would 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 the proposed
regulation:
(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),
(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.
The Proposed Amendment
Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the FAA proposes to amend 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)
2016-18-01, Amendment 39-18631 (81 FR 59830, August 31, 2016), and
adding the following new AD:
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