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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2020-0712; Product Identifier 2019-CE-013-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Piper Aircraft, Inc. Airplanes
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 Piper Aircraft, Inc. Model PA-34-220T airplanes. This
proposed AD was prompted by a report of damage to the rudder flight
control cables and the emergency power supply (EPS) system wiring due
to inadequate clearance from the EPS wiring harness. This proposed AD
would require inspecting the rudder flight control cables and the EPS
wiring for damage, replacing damaged cables and wires if necessary, and
re-routing the EPS wiring harness to ensure proper clearance between
the EPS and the rudder flight control cables. The FAA is issuing this
proposed AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
DATES: The FAA must receive comments on this proposed AD by September
11, 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 Piper
Aircraft, Inc. 2916 Piper Drive, Vero Beach, Florida 32960; telephone
(772) 567-4361; email: customer.service@piper.com; internet: https://www.
piper.com. You may view this referenced service information at the
FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 901
Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the
availability of this material at the FAA, call (816) 329-4148.
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-2020-0712;
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: Bryan Long, Aerospace Engineer,
Atlanta ACO Branch, FAA, 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, Georgia
30337; phone: (404) 474-5578; fax: (404) 474-5606; email:
bryan.long@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or
arguments about this proposed AD. Send your comments to an address
listed under the ADDRESSES section. Include "Docket No. FAA-2020-0712;
Product Identifier 2019-CE-013-AD" at the beginning of your comments.
The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date and may
amend this proposed AD because of those comments.
Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in
the following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR
11.35, the FAA will post all comments we receive, without change, to
https://regulations.gov, including any personal information you
provide. The FAA will also post a report summarizing each substantive
verbal contact it receives about this proposed AD.
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 Bryan Long, Aerospace Engineer, Atlanta ACO
Branch, FAA, 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, Georgia 30337. 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 from Piper Aircraft, Inc., that the
emergency power supply (EPS) system wiring on Model PA-34-220T
airplanes is installed in a way that may cause the wires to chafe
against the rudder flight control cable. Use of the rudder flight
control cable and the motion of the cable rubbing against the EPS
wiring can wear through the rudder flight control cable insulation and
cause an electrical path to ground. The flow of the electrical current
can burn (arch) through the rudder flight control cable strands,
eventually severing the rudder flight control cable.
This condition, if not addressed, could result in electrical arcing
between the EPS and the rudder flight control cables with consequent
failure of the rudder flight control system. This failure could cause
loss of yaw control and lead to loss of control of the airplane during
an engine out condition/operation.
Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51
The FAA reviewed Piper Aircraft, Inc., Service Bulletin No. 1337,
dated February 15, 2019. The service bulletin contains procedures for
inspecting the rudder flight control cables and the EPS wiring for
damage, replacing damaged cables and wires, and re-routing the EPS
wiring harness to the opposite side of the EPS bracket to improve
clearance from the rudder flight control cable. 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 it evaluated all 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 accomplishing the actions specified
in the service information described previously.
Costs of Compliance
The FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 25 airplanes
of U.S. registry.
The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this proposed
AD:
Estimated Costs
|
Action
|
Labor cost
|
Parts cost
|
Cost per
product
|
Cost on
U.S. operators
|
| Inspect the rudder flight control
cables and the EPS wiring. |
1 work-hour x $85 per hour =
$85 |
Not Applicable |
$85
|
$2,125
|
| Re-routing the EPS wiring harness |
2 work-hours x $85 per hour =
$170 |
$100 |
270
|
6,750
|
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
airplanes that might need actions:
On-Condition Costs
|
Action
|
Labor cost
|
Parts cost
|
Cost per
product
|
| Replace damaged rudder flight
control cable. |
8 work-hours x $85 per hour =
$680 |
$157
|
$837
|
| Replace damaged EPS wiring. |
10 work-hours x $85 per hour
= $850 |
2,770
|
3,620
|
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.
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):
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