DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2018-0586; Product Identifier 2017-NM-151-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Bombardier, Inc., Airplanes
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
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SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for
certain Bombardier, Inc., Model DHC-8-300 series airplanes. This
proposed AD was prompted by reports indicating that a certain emergency
exit door could not be opened during maintenance. This proposed AD
would require a detailed inspection of the ball bearings of an
emergency exit, replacement of bearings if necessary, application of
corrosion inhibiting compound (CIC), and revision of the maintenance or
inspection program, as applicable. We are proposing this AD to address
the unsafe condition on these products.
DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by August 20, 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
Bombardier, Inc., Q-Series Technical Help Desk, 123 Garratt
Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario M3K 1Y5, Canada; telephone 416-375-4000;
fax 416-375-4539; email thd.qseries@aero.bombardier.com; internet
http://www.bombardier.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.
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-
0586; 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 Operations
office (telephone 800-647-5527) is in the ADDRESSES section. Comments
will be available in the AD docket shortly after receipt.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Neil Doh, Aerospace Engineer, Aviation
Safety Section, FAA, Boston ACO Branch, 1200 District Avenue,
Burlington, MA 01803; telephone: 781-238-7757; fax: 781-238-7199;
email: neil.doh@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-2018-0586;
Product Identifier 2017-NM-151-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 based on
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 NPRM.
Discussion
Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), which is the aviation
authority for Canada, has issued Canadian Airworthiness Directive CF-
2017-30, dated August 30, 2017 (referred to after this as the Mandatory
Continuing Airworthiness Information, or "the MCAI"), to correct an
unsafe condition for certain Bombardier, Inc., Model DHC-8-300 series
airplanes. The MCAI states:
An operator has reported the inability to open the Forward Right
Hand Type I emergency exit door with either the internal or external
handle during maintenance. Investigation has determined that the
handle was found to be jammed due to corroded center and lower shaft
ball bearings. Condensation has been found to be the root cause of
the Forward Right Hand Type I emergency exit door hardware
corrosion. Other Forward Right Hand Type I emergency exit door ball
bearings are also susceptible to corrosion. Inability to open the
Forward Right Hand Type I emergency exit door during an emergency
evacuation may impede aircraft egress.
This [Canadian] AD mandates the inspection for corrosion and
replacement, as required, of all Forward Right Hand Type I emergency
exit door ball bearings, and the application of corrosion inhibiting
compound (CIC), to ensure that the Forward Right Hand Type I
emergency exit door can be opened when required.
Required actions also include an inspection of the emergency exit
door ball bearings for seal damage and loss of lubricant and revision
of the maintenance or inspection program, as applicable. You may
examine the MCAI in the AD docket on the internet at
http://www.regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No.
FAA-2018-0586.
Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51
Bombardier has issued the following service information:
Service Bulletin 8-52-65, dated July 26, 2017, which
describes procedures for a detailed inspection of the forward right-
hand type 1 emergency exit door ball bearings for corrosion, seal
damage, and loss of lubricant; applying CIC; and replacing emergency
exit door ball bearings if necessary.
Maintenance Review Board (MRB) Task 5220/12 ("Servicing
of Forward RH Emergency Exit Mechanisms"), dated March 15, 2017, of
the DHC-8-300 Series Maintenance Program Support Manual (PSM) 1-83-7,
which describes procedures for servicing the forward right-hand
emergency exit door mechanisms.
Temporary Revision (TR) 54-042, dated April 10, 2018, to
the DHC-8-300 Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM), which describes
procedures for servicing the type 1 emergency exit door mechanisms.
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 and Requirements of This Proposed AD
This product has been approved by the aviation authority of another
country, and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant
to our bilateral agreement with the State of Design Authority, we have
been notified of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI and service
information referenced above. We are proposing this AD because we
evaluated all pertinent information and determined an unsafe condition
exists and is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same
type design.
This AD requires revisions to certain operator maintenance
documents to include new actions (e.g., inspections). Compliance with
these actions is required by 14 CFR 91.403(c). For airplanes that have
been previously modified, altered, or repaired in the areas addressed
by this proposed AD, the operator may not be able to accomplish the
actions described in the revisions. In this situation, to comply with
14 CFR 91.403(c), the operator must request approval for an alternative
method of compliance according to paragraph (j)(1) of this proposed AD.
The request should include a description of changes to the required
actions that will ensure the continued damage tolerance of the affected
structure.
Differences Between This Proposed AD and the MCAI
The MCAI requires the incorporation of MRB Task 5220/12
("Servicing of Forward RH Emergency Exit Mechanisms") into the
maintenance program. That task refers to the AMM for certain
procedures, which have been updated. We understand that the MCAI does
not require the updated AMM procedures because, unlike U.S. operators,
Canadian operators are already required to use the most current AMM
procedures. Therefore, this proposed AD would also require the
incorporation of Bombardier TR 54-042, dated April 10, 2018, which
includes the updated AMM procedures.
Costs of Compliance
We estimate that this proposed AD affects 16 airplanes of U.S. registry.
We estimate the following costs to comply with this proposed AD:
Estimated Costs for Required Actions
LABOR COST
|
PARTS COST
|
COST PER
PRODUCT
|
COST ON U.S.
OPERATORS
|
3 work-hours x $85 per hour = $255 |
$0
|
$255
|
$4,080
|
We have determined that revising the maintenance or inspection
program takes an average of 90 work-hours per operator, although we
recognize that this number may vary from operator to operator. In the
past, we have estimated that this action takes 1 work-hour per
airplane. Since operators incorporate maintenance or inspection program
changes for their affected fleet(s), we have determined that a per-
operator estimate is more accurate than a per-airplane estimate.
Therefore, we estimate the total cost per operator to be $7,650 (90
work-hours x $85 per work-hour).
We estimate the following costs to do any necessary on-condition
actions that would be required based on the results of any required
actions. We have no way of determining the number of aircraft that
might need these on-condition actions:
Estimated Costs of On-Condition Actions
LABOR COST
|
PARTS COST
|
COST PER
PRODUCT
|
6 work-hours x $85 per hour = $510 |
$586
|
$1,096
|
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 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 this 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 adding the following new airworthiness
directive (AD):
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