DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2019-0860; Product Identifier 2019-NM-123-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Dassault Aviation Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD)
2019-03-14, which applies to certain Dassault Aviation Model FAN JET
FALCON, FAN JET FALCON SERIES C, D, E, F, and G airplanes. AD 2019-03-
14 requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as
applicable, to incorporate new maintenance requirements and
airworthiness limitations. Since AD 2019-03-14 was issued, the FAA has
determined that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are
necessary. This proposed AD would require revising the existing
maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or
more restrictive airworthiness limitations. The FAA is
proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: The FAA must receive comments on this proposed AD by December
19, 2019.

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 https://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 https://www.
dassaultfalcon.com. You may view this referenced 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 https://www.regulations.
gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2019-0860;
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 is listed above.
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

The FAA invites 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-2019-0860;
Product Identifier 2019-NM-123-AD" at the beginning of your comments.
The FAA specifically invites comments on the overall regulatory,
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this proposed AD. The
FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date and may
amend this proposed AD based on those comments.

The FAA will post all comments received, without change, to https://www.
regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide.
The FAA will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal
contact received about this NPRM.

Discussion

The FAA issued AD 2019-03-14, Amendment 39-19566 (84 FR 7269, March
4, 2019) ("AD 2019-03-14"), for certain Dassault Aviation Model FAN
JET FALCON, FAN JET FALCON SERIES C, D, E, F, and G airplanes. AD 2019-
03-14 requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program,
as applicable, to incorporate new maintenance requirements and
airworthiness limitations. AD 2019-03-14 resulted from a determination
that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary.
The FAA issued AD 2019-03-14 to address, among other things, fatigue
cracking and damage in principal structural elements; such fatigue
cracking and damage could result in reduced structural integrity of the
airplane.

Actions Since AD 2019-03-14 Was Issued

Since AD 2019-03-14 was issued, the FAA has determined that new or
more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the
Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, has issued
EASA AD 2019-0142, dated June 17, 2019 (referred to after this as the
Mandatory Continuing Airworthiness Information, or "the MCAI"), to
correct an unsafe condition for certain Dassault Aviation Model FAN JET
FALCON, FAN JET FALCON SERIES C, D, E, F, and G airplanes.

This proposed AD was prompted by a determination that new or more
restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. The FAA is issuing
this AD to address continued structural integrity of the airplane. See
the MCAI for additional background information.

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-2019-0860.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

Dassault Aviation has issued Chapter 5-40-01, Airworthiness
Limitations, Revision 10, dated January 1, 2019, of the Dassault
Aviation Falcon 20 Maintenance Manual, specifically for aircraft that
have incorporated the supplemental structural inspection program
(SSIP). This service information describes airworthiness limitations
for safe life limits.

This proposed AD would also require Chapter 5-40-01, Airworthiness
Limitations, DMD 44729, Revision 9, dated November 29, 2017, of the
Dassault Aviation Falcon 20 Maintenance Manual, which the Director of
the Federal Register approved for incorporation by reference as of
April 8, 2019 (84 FR 7269, March 4, 2019).

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. The FAA is proposing this AD because the
agency 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 retain all requirements of AD 2019-03-14.
This proposed AD would also require revising the existing maintenance
or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more
restrictive airworthiness limitations.

This proposed AD would require 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
(l)(1) of this proposed AD.

Costs of Compliance

The FAA estimates that this proposed AD affects 61 airplanes of
U.S. registry.

The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed
AD:

The FAA estimates the total cost per operator for the retained
actions from AD 2019-03-14 to be $7,650 (90 work-hours x $85 per work-
hour).

The FAA has determined that revising the maintenance or inspection
program takes an average of 90 work-hours per operator, although the
FAA recognizes that this number may vary from operator to operator. In
the past, the FAA has estimated that this action takes 1 work-hour per
airplane. Since operators incorporate maintenance or inspection program
changes for their affected fleet(s), the FAA has determined that a per-
operator estimate is more accurate than a per-airplane estimate.

The FAA estimates the total cost per operator for the new proposed
actions to be $7,650 (90 work-hours x $85 per work-hour).

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.

The FAA is 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 and associated appliances to the
Director of the System Oversight Division.

Regulatory Findings

The FAA 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) Will not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and

(3) 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)
2019-03-14, Amendment 39-19566 (84 FR 7269, March 4, 2019); and adding
the following new AD: