DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0883; Project Identifier 2019-CE-034-AD]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Rockwell Collins, Inc. Flight Display
System Application

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) AD
2019-12-09, which applies to certain Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rockwell
Collins) FDSA-6500 flight display system applications installed on
airplanes. AD 2019-12-09 imposes operating limitations on the traffic
collision avoidance system (TCAS). AD 2019-12-09 was prompted by
conflict between the TCAS display indications and aural alerts that may
occur during a resolution advisory (RA) scenario. This proposed AD
would retain the requirements of AD 2019-12-09 until a software upgrade
is completed. 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 January 28,
2021.

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 Rockwell
Collins at Collins Aviation Services, 400 Collins Road NE, M/S 164-100,
Cedar Rapids, IA 52498-0001; phone: 319-295-9258; fax: 319-295-4351;
email: techmanuals@rockwellcollins.com; website: https://www.rockwell
collins.com/Services_and_Support/Publications.aspx. You may
view the service information at the FAA, Airworthiness Products
Section, Operational Safety Branch, 901 Locust, 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 at https://www.regulations.gov by
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2020-0883; 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, any comments
received, and other information. The street address for Docket
Operations is listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nhien Hoang, Aviation Safety Engineer,
Wichita ACO Branch, FAA, 1801 Airport Road, Wichita, Kansas 67209;
phone: (316) 946-4157; fax: (316) 946-4107; email: Nhien.Hoang@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-2020-0883;
Project Identifier 2019-CE-034-AD" at the beginning of your comments.
The most helpful comments reference a specific portion of the proposal,
explain the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting
data. The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date
and may amend the proposal 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 agency will also post a report summarizing each
substantive verbal contact received about this proposed AD.

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 Nhien
Hoang, Aviation Safety Engineer, Wichita ACO Branch, FAA, 1801 Airport
Road, Wichita, Kansas 67209; phone: (316) 946-4157; fax: (316) 946-
4107; email: Nhien.Hoang@faa.gov or Wichita-COS@faa.gov. Any commentary
that the FAA receives which is not specifically designated as CBI will
be placed in the public docket for this rulemaking.

Background

The FAA issued a final rule; request for comment to add AD 2019-12-
09, Amendment 39-19664 (84 FR 32260, dated July 8, 2019), (AD 2019-12-
09) for certain part-numbered Rockwell Collins FDSA-6500 flight display
system applications. These applications may be installed on, but not
limited to, Bombardier Inc. Model CL-600-2B16 (604 variant) airplanes
and Textron Aviation Inc. Models 525B, B200, B200C, B200CGT, B200GT,
B300, B300C, and C90GTi airplanes. AD 2019-12-09 resulted from a report
that a conflict could occur between the TCAS primary cockpit display
indications and the aural alerts during an RA scenario. During testing
of a full flight simulator on a development program, the TCAS fly-to/
avoidance cue indication on the primary cockpit displays conflicted
with other TCAS system information, such as aural cues, during an RA
scenario. While the aural alert will provide the pilot with accurate
information to resolve the RA, that information is not accurately
represented by the TCAS fly-to/avoidance cue display. Specifically, the
TCAS fly-to/avoidance cue is displayed relative to the aircraft horizon
line instead of the aircraft symbol. Rockwell Collins determined that
the data from the TCAS is being translated incorrectly by the FDSA-6500
software prior to display of the RA pitch indications.

AD 2019-12-09 prohibited operation with the TCAS in TA/RA mode by
requiring a revision to the Limitations section of the airplane flight
manual (AFM) or AFM supplement (AFMS) and by fabricating and installing
a placard on each aircraft primary flight display. The FAA issued AD
2019-12-09 to prevent the pilot from over-correcting or under-
correcting for aircraft separation, which may result in a mid-air
collision.

The FAA issued AD 2019-12-09 as interim action. This NPRM would
retain the operating prohibition of AD 2019-12-09 and would require
installing updated software on the flight data system applications
within 12 months. Once the software is upgraded, this NPRM proposes to
allow removal of the limitations and placard. Because these proposed
requirements would have a longer compliance time, the FAA is providing
the public an opportunity to comment.

FAA's Determination

The FAA is issuing this NPRM after determining that the unsafe
condition described previously is likely to exist or develop in other
products of the same type design.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

The FAA reviewed Rockwell Collins Service Information Letter FDSA-
6500-19-1, Revision No. 2, dated June 12, 2019. This service
information letter contains information regarding hardware and software
compatibility for the FDSA-6500 flight display system and provides
software download instructions. 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.

Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM

This proposed AD would retain the placard and operating
requirements of AD 2019-12-09 and require updating the FDSA-6500
software. After this software update, this proposed AD would allow
removal of the placard and operating limitations required by AD 2019-
12-09.

Costs of Compliance

The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would
affect 932 FDSA-6500 flight display system applications installed on
311 airplanes worldwide. The FAA has no way of knowing the number of
FDSA-6500 applications installed on airplanes of U.S. Registry. The
estimated cost on U.S. operators reflects the maximum possible cost
based on worldwide applications.

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

Estimated Costs

The FAA has included all known costs in its cost estimate.
According to the manufacturer, however, 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 operators.

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) Would not affect intrastate aviation in Alaska, and

(3) Would 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:

a. Removing Airworthiness Directive 2019-12-09, Amendment 39-19664 (84
FR 32260, dated July 8, 2019); and

b. Adding the following new airworthiness directive: