DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2018-0809; Product Identifier 2018-NM-092-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 2000
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 Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 2000 airplanes. This proposed AD
was prompted by a report of chafing of a wire bundle located at the
bottom of the right hand electrical cabinet. This proposed AD would
require a one-time general visual inspection of the wiring bundle for
damage, measurement of the clearance between the metallic plate and the
wiring bundle, and corrective actions if necessary. We are proposing
this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by November 23, 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 Dassault
Falcon Jet Corporation, Teterboro Airport, P.O. Box 2000, South
Hackensack, NJ 07606; telephone 201-440-6700; internet http://www.
dassaultfalcon.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-2018-0809;
or in person at Docket Operations 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 Docket Operations (phone: 800-647-
5527) is in the ADDRESSES section. Comments will be available in the AD
docket shortly after receipt.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Rodriguez, Aerospace Engineer,
International Section, Transport Standards Branch, FAA, 2200 South
216th St., Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone and fax 206-231-3226.

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-2018-0809;
Product Identifier 2018-NM-092-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 NPRM.

Discussion

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical
Agent for the Member States of the European Union, has issued EASA AD
2018-0114, dated May 23, 2018, (referred to after this as the Mandatory
Continuing Airworthiness Information, or "the MCAI"), to correct an
unsafe condition for certain Dassault Aviation Model FALCON 2000
airplanes. The MCAI states:

One Falcon 2000 aeroplane experienced some chafing of a wire
bundle located at the bottom of the right-hand (RH) electrical
cabinet (between Frames 4 and 5). The wire loom interfered with a
metallic (ground) plate of terminal strip 700J and at least 12 wires
were damaged. This wire loom includes 250 wires and in case of
chafing, any wire may be damaged.

This condition, if not detected and corrected, could lead to
improper functioning of aeroplane systems [such as loss of wing
anti-icing or wing anti-icing inoperative indication, loss of normal
braking indication, and loss of "No take-off" indication],
possibly resulting in reduced control of the aeroplane.

To address this potential unsafe condition, Dassault developed a
modification M3889 to improve the clearance between the metallic
plate and the wire loom, and published the SB [Dassault Aviation
Service Bulletin F2000-436] to inspect and modify aeroplanes in
service.

For the reasons described above, this [EASA] AD requires a one-
time inspection of the wiring bundle for interference or damage,
measurement of the clearance between the metallic plate and the
wiring bundle, and depending on findings, modification of the
aeroplane by cutting out the lower part of the ground plate of
terminal strip 700J and adding an edge protection to prevent
interference. Aeroplanes that do not have a metallic plate installed
are not affected by this [EASA] AD.

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-2018-0809.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

Dassault Aviation has issued Service Bulletin F2000-436, dated
September 28, 2017. This service information
describes procedures for a one-time general visual inspection of the
wiring bundle for damage (including chafing), measurement of the
clearance between the metallic plate and the wiring bundle, and
corrective actions. Corrective actions include modification of the
airplane by cutting out the lower part of the ground plate of terminal
strip 700J and adding an edge protection to prevent interference and
replacement of damaged wires. 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

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 the relevant information and determined the unsafe
condition described previously is likely to exist or develop on other
products of the same type design.

Proposed Requirements of This NPRM

This proposed AD would require accomplishing the actions specified
in the service information described previously.

Costs of Compliance

We estimate that this proposed AD affects 195 airplanes of U.S.
registry. We estimate the following costs to comply with this proposed
AD:

Estimated Costs

We estimate the following costs to do the necessary on-condition
action 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 this on-condition action:

Estimated Costs of On-Condition Actions

* We have received no definitive data for the parts cost for the on-condition actions.

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):