DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2019-1008; Product Identifier AD-2019-00110-P]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
Propellers

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD)
for certain Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Hamilton Sundstrand) 54H60
model propellers. This proposed AD was prompted by the failure of a
propeller blade that resulted in the loss of the airplane. This
proposed AD would require initial and repetitive eddy current
inspections (ECI) of the affected propeller blades and replacement of
the propeller blades that fail the inspection. 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 March 13,
2020.

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 Hamilton
Sundstrand, 1 Hamilton Road, Windsor Locks, CT 06096-1010, United
States; phone: 877-808-7575; email: CRC@collins.com. You may view this
service information at the FAA, Engine and Propeller Standards Branch,
1200 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803. For information on the
availability of this material at the FAA, call 781-238-7759.

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-2019-1008;
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: Maureen Maisttison, Aerospace
Engineer, Boston ACO Branch, FAA, 1200 District Avenue, Burlington, MA
01803; phone: 781-238-7076; fax: 781-238-7199; email:
maureen.maisttison@faa.gov.

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-2019-1008;
Product Identifier AD-2019-00110-P" at the beginning of your comments.
The FAA specifically invites comments on the overall regulatory,
economic, environmental, and energy aspects of this NPRM. The FAA will
consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend this
NPRM because of those comments.

Except for Confidential Business Information as described in the
following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR
11.35, 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.

Confidential Business Information

Confidential Business Information (CBI) is commercial or financial
information that is both customarily and actually treated as private by
its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552),
CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments responsive to
this NPRM contain commercial or financial information that is
customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and
that is relevant or responsive to this NPRM, it is important that you
clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI. Please mark each page
of your submission containing CBI as "PROPIN." The FAA will treat
such marked submissions as confidential under the FOIA, and they will
not be placed in the public docket of this NPRM. Submissions containing
CBI should be sent to Maureen Maisttison, Aerospace Engineer, Boston
ACO Branch, FAA, 1200 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803. Any
commentary that the FAA receives which is not specifically designated
as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this rulemaking.

Discussion

The FAA received a report of the separation of a 54H60 model
propeller blade installed on a United States Marine Corps Reserve KC-
130T airplane during a flight in July 2017. The separation of the blade
resulted in the loss of the airplane and 17 fatalities. The
investigation of this event revealed the Hamilton Sundstrand 54H60
model propeller blade separated due to corrosion that was not corrected
at the last propeller overhaul. The investigation further revealed that
54H60 model propeller blades manufactured before 1971 are susceptible
to this unsafe condition. The applicability of this AD is therefore
limited to those Hamilton Sundstrand 54H60 model propellers blades with
a blade serial number below 813320, which are those propeller blades
manufactured before 1971. This condition, if not addressed, could
result in failure of the propeller blade, blade separation, and loss of
the airplane.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

The FAA reviewed Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation Alert Service
Bulletin (ASB) 54H60-61-A154, dated August 26, 2019. The ASB describes
procedures for performing an ECI of the propeller blade taper bore.
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

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 in other products of the same
type design.

Proposed AD Requirements

This proposed AD would require an initial and repetitive ECI of the
affected propeller blades and removal from service of any blades that
fail these inspections.

Differences Between This Proposed AD and the Service Information

This proposed rule does not require that operators send blades that
fail the inspection to a designated repair facility. Hamilton
Sundstrand ASB 54H60-61-A154, dated August 26, 2019 indicates that
these blades should be sent to a designated repair facility.

Interim Action

The FAA considers this proposed AD interim action. The root cause
of the 54H60 model propeller blade separation is still under
investigation. The FAA may consider further rulemaking action.

Costs of Compliance

The FAA estimates that this proposed AD affects 212 propellers
installed on 53 aircraft of U.S. registry.

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

Estimated Costs

The FAA estimates the following costs to do any necessary
replacements that would be required based on the results of the
proposed inspection. The FAA has no way of determining the number of
aircraft that might need these replacements:

On-Condition Costs

Paperwork Reduction Act

A federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not
required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for
failure to comply with a collection of information subject to the
requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that collection of
information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. The OMB
Control Number for this information collection is 2120-0056. Public
reporting for this collection of information is estimated to be
approximately 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing
instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and
maintaining the data needed, completing and reviewing the collection of
information. All responses to this collection of information are
mandatory. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other
aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for
reducing this burden to: Information Collection Clearance Officer,
Federal Aviation Administration, 10101 Hillwood Parkway, Fort Worth, TX
76177-1524.

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 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 engines, propellers, and
associated appliances to the Manager, Engine and Propeller Standards
Branch, Policy and Innovation 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 adding the following new airworthiness
directive (AD):