DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0811; Product Identifier 2019-CE-055-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Textron Aviation Inc. (Textron)
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 Textron (type certificate previously held by Cessna
Aircraft Company) Models 208 and 208B airplanes. This proposed AD was
prompted by reports of loose elevator torque tube attach fasteners.
This proposed AD would require repetitively inspecting the inboard and
outboard elevator torque tube attachments for loose or incorrectly
installed fasteners, replacing all fasteners if loose or incorrectly
installed fasteners are found, and reporting the inspection results to
the FAA. This AD also includes optional actions to terminate the
repetitive inspections. 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 November 6,
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
Textron Aviation Inc., One Cessna Boulevard, Wichita, KS 67215:
Telephone: 316-517-5800: email: teamturbopropsupport@txtav.com;
internet: https://support.cessna.com. You may view this service
information at the FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, Operational
Safety Branch, 901 Locust St., Kansas City, MO 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-
0811; 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: Bobbie Kroetch, Aerospace Engineer,
Wichita ACO Branch, FAA, 1801 Airport Road, Wichita, Kansas 67209;
phone: 316-946-4155; fax: 316-946-4107; email: bobbie.kroetch@faa.gov
or Wichita-COS@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-2020-0811;
Product Identifier 2019-CE-055-AD" at the beginning of your comments.
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 (CBI) 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 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 Bobbie Kroetch, Aerospace Engineer, Wichita ACO
Branch, FAA, 1801 Airport Road, Wichita, Kansas 67209. 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 reports of loose elevator torque tube attach
fasteners on low flight time Textron Model 208B airplanes. Textron
identified a quality escape affecting certain serial-numbered Model 208
and 208B airplanes. Fastener holes in the inboard and outboard elevator
torque tube connections may have been oversized and fasteners at the
inboard and outboard torque tube connections may have been installed
incorrectly.

This condition, if not addressed, could result in failure of the
elevator torque tube fasteners, leading to loss of elevator control and
loss of controlled flight.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

The FAA reviewed Task 27-30-00-290, Left and Right Elevator Torque
Tube Attach Points (Borescope) Special Detailed Inspection, dated
October 1, 2018, of the Cessna Model 208 Maintenance Manual (Task 27-
30-00-290). This service information contains procedures for performing
a detailed borescope inspection of the left and right elevator torque
tube attach points. 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.

Other Related Service Information

The FAA also reviewed Textron Aviation Mandatory Caravan Service
Bulletin CAB-27-06, dated October 14, 2019 (CAB-27-06). This service
information contains instructions for visually inspecting the left and
right elevator torque tube attach points for the presence of loose
rivets and replacing loose or incorrectly installed rivets.

FAA's Determination

The FAA is proposing this AD because it evaluated all the relevant
information and determined the unsafe condition described previously is
likely to exist or develop in other products of this same type design.

Proposed AD Requirements

This proposed AD would require accomplishing the actions specified
in the service information described previously, except as discussed
under "Differences Between this Proposed AD and the Service
Information." This proposed AD also requires reporting the inspection
results to the FAA.

Differences Between This Proposed AD and the Service Information

Task 27-30-00-290 only specifies replacing loose fasteners. The
proposed AD would require replacement of all 48 fasteners if any single
inboard or outboard elevator torque tube attach fastener is found loose
or incorrectly installed. The FAA determined based on field evidence
that identification of one loose fastener often indicates other
fasteners may be affected.

CAB-27-06, which would not be incorporated by reference in this
proposed AD, specifies performing an initial inspection within 800
flight hours or 12 months from date of receipt, whichever occurs first.
This proposed AD would require an initial inspection before the
airplane accumulates 800 hours time-in-service (TIS) or within 200
hours TIS after the AD effectivity date, whichever occurs later.

CAB-27-06 also specifies, without sufficient data, that an
inspection is not required for airplanes that have reached 4,000 hours.
The FAA determined an inspection of high-time airplanes is necessary to
verify whether these airplanes are affected. This proposed AD would
require a one-time visual inspection for airplanes that have already
accumulated 4,000 hours TIS.

Costs of Compliance

The FAA estimates that this proposed AD affects 232 airplanes 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
airplanes that might need these replacements:

On-Condition Costs

According to the manufacturer, some of the costs of this proposed
AD may be covered under warranty, thereby reducing the cost impact on
affected individuals. The FAA does not control warranty coverage for
affected individuals. As a result, the FAA has included all costs in
this cost estimate.

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.

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):