DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2018-0977; Product Identifier 2018-CE-041-AD; Amendment
39-21123; AD 2020-10-05]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Rockwell Collins, Inc. Flight Management Systems

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for
certain Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rockwell Collins) flight management
systems (FMS) installed on airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports
of the flight management computer (FMC) software issuing incorrect turn
commands when the altitude climb field is edited or the temperature
compensation is activated on the FMS control display unit. This AD
requires disabling the automatic temperature compensation feature of
the FMS through the configuration strapping units (CSU) and revising
the airplane flight manual (AFM) Limitations section. The FAA is
issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: This AD is effective June 24, 2020.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by
reference of certain publications listed in this AD as of June 24,
2020.

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this final rule,
contact Rockwell Collins, Inc., Collins Aviation Services, 400 Collins Road NE,
M/S 164-100, Cedar Rapids, IA 52498-0001; telephone: 888-265-5467
(U.S.) or 319-265-5467; fax: 319-295-4941 (outside U.S.); email:
techmanuals@rockwellcollins.com; internet: https://portal.rockwellcollins.com/
web/publications-and-training. You may view
this 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. It is also available on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov
by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2018-0977.

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-2018-
0977; 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 final rule, the regulatory evaluation, any comments received, and
other information. The address U.S. Department of Transportation,
Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Avi Acharya, Aerospace Engineer,
Wichita Aircraft Certification Office, FAA, 1801 Airport Road, Room
100, Wichita, Kansas 67209; phone: 316-946-4192; fax: 316-946-4107;
email: avishek.acharya@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Discussion

The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14
CFR part 39 by adding an AD that would apply to certain part-numbered
Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 and Pro Line 21 FMSs. The NPRM published in
the Federal Register on December 6, 2018 (83 FR 62736).
The NPRM was prompted by a flight inspection on a Bombardier Model
CRJ-200 airplane, during which Nav Canada, which is Canada's civil air
navigation service provider, observed the FMS map displaying an
incorrect turn for the Fort St. John airport instrument landing system
runway 29 missed approach while using temperature compensation. Nav
Canada assumed this was only an issue with the map display and reported
the incident to Rockwell Collins. Rockwell Collins subsequently
determined that an error in the design of the Pro Line 4 and Pro Line
21 FMC software causes changes to the procedure-defined turn direction
when the procedure has been significantly modified. The FMS removes the
planned database turn direction when the flight crew edits the altitude
climb field, and the flight crew may not notice the change during
climb. The FMS also removes the planned database turn direction if the
flight crew uses the temperature compensation to edit the altitude
climb field, which may go unnoticed by the flight crew with the
increased workload involved with a missed approach procedure. Editing
the altitude or using temperature compensation does not change the
flight segment. However, due to the design error, the software thinks
the flight segment has changed. The change of the planned turn
direction can occur for either left or right turns.
The FMS commanding incorrect turn direction may result in a
collision or controlled flight into terrain.
The NPRM proposed to require disabling the automatic temperature
compensation feature of the FMS through the CSU and revising the AFM
Limitations section. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe
condition on these products.

Comments

The FAA gave the public the opportunity to participate in
developing this final rule. The following presents the comments
received on the NPRM and the FAA's response to each comment.

Request To Remove Requirement To Disable Temperature Compensation

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft (Bombardier) and Endeavor Air
(Endeavor) requested the FAA remove paragraph (g), which proposed to
require disabling the automatic temperature compensation feature on the
CSU. These commenters stated that disabling this feature would also
disable the temperature compensation calculator, which would increase
crew workload and introduce error by necessitating that pilots manually
calculate this information.
While the FAA agrees that performing manual temperature
compensation calculations or using standard cold temperature altitude
correction charts increases flight crew workload, the FAA finds that
these are acceptable piloting tasks. The FMS and its built-in
temperature compensation feature are not required under the FAA's
airworthiness standards; rather, the temperature compensation feature
of the FMS is an aid to the flight crew. Additionally, disabling the
temperature compensation feature is necessary to address the unsafe
condition. The FAA did not change the AD based on this comment.

Request To Revise the Language of the AFM Limitation Requirement

Bombardier, Endeavor, and Collins Aerospace (Collins) requested the
FAA revise the AFM Limitations for altitude edits. The NPRM proposed to
require the limitation in Rockwell Collins Service Information Letter
(SIL) FMC-XX00-18-1, dated June 27, 2018, which prohibits editing
altitudes on departure, approach, and missed approach procedures. The
commenters requested the FAA change the limitation to only prohibit
editing altitudes on departure and missed approach procedures, and
eliminate the limitation for approach procedures. Collins stated that
following this limitation during approach prior to the missed approach
could adversely impact Vertical Navigation (VNAV) safety and crew
workload because it results in misleading VNAV alerts and displays
prior to the missed approach point.
The FAA agrees. Rockwell Collins has revised the SIL and issued SIL
FMC-XX00-18-1, Revision 1, dated February 5, 2019, which contains the
limitation language requested by the commenters. This final rule
requires revising the AFM to add the information in SIL FMC-XX00-18-1,
Revision 1, dated February 5, 2019.

Request To Reduce the Compliance Time for the AFM Revision

Endeavor requested the FAA reduce the time to revise the AFM from
12 months to 30 days.
The FAA does not agree. The FAA considered the variety of aircraft
types and operations that would be affected by this AD and determined a
12-month compliance time is appropriate for both the AFM revisions and
the requirement to disable the temperature compensation feature. The
FAA did not change this AD based on this comment because 12 months
after the effective date of this AD is necessary to allow the owner/
operator a reasonable amount of time to perform the hardware
modification. The AFM limitations cannot be implemented without the
hardware change.

Request To Withdraw the NPRM

WR Ryan stated that this matter is not serious enough to warrant an
AD. The commenter also stated that this issue is being exaggerated, as
Collins will eventually fix the problem. The FAA
infers the commenter wants the FAA to withdraw the NPRM.
The FAA does not agree. The FAA issues an airworthiness directive
when it finds an unsafe condition exists in a product and the condition
is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type
design. The FAA has determined the FMS design error is an unsafe
condition. While an operator may choose to comply with the service
information released by Rockwell Collins, not all operators are
required to do so. In order for the corrective actions in a service
document to become mandatory, and to correct the unsafe condition
identified in the NPRM, the FAA must issue an AD. The FAA did not
change this AD based on this comment.

Revise the Costs of Compliance

WR Ryan stated the FAA estimated labor costs of $85 per work hour
in the NPRM, while the majority of maintenance shops charge labor rates
of $120 or more an hour. The FAA infers the commenter wants the FAA to
revise the labor rate in its estimated cost of complying with the AD.
The FAA does not agree with this comment. The labor rate of $85 per
work-hour is provided by the FAA Office of Aviation Policy and Plans
for the FAA to use when estimating the labor costs of complying with AD
requirements. The FAA did not change this AD based on this comment.

Authority To Issue the AD/Extension of Comment Period

Bombardier stated the FAA's Wichita ACO Branch lacks the legal
authority under 49 U.S.C. 44701 to issue an AD addressing a component
and requiring changes to an AFM. Bombardier requested the FAA's Wichita
ACO Branch coordinate the proposed AD with the FAA's New York ACO
Branch and consider whether the AD should instead address the aircraft.
Bombardier disagreed with the FAA's proposed AD because Transport
Canada, the responsible authority for the state of design for its
airplanes, has already issued an AD covering this same unsafe
condition. Alternatively, Bombardier requested an extension to the NPRM
commenting period to allow Bombardier and the New York ACO Branch to
provide input to the Wichita ACO Branch.
The FAA does not agree. Although Canada is the state of design for
Bombardier products, the United States is the state of design for
Rockwell Collins products. Under the authority of 49 U.S.C. 44701 and
the FAA's regulations regarding ADs (14 CFR part 39), the FAA issues an
AD addressing a product (aircraft, engine, propeller, or appliance)
that has an unsafe condition if the condition is likely to exist or
develop in other products of the same type design. The FMS is an
appliance, as that term is defined in 14 CFR 1.1, that may be installed
in multiple aircraft types. Contrary to Bombardier's suggestion, 49
U.S.C. 44701 does not require the FAA to adopt the Transport Canada AD.
Rather, 49 U.S.C. 44701(e)(5) permits the FAA to either accept a
foreign AD (under certain conditions) or issue an FAA AD if determined
necessary for safety. The Transport Canada AD for this issue applies
only to Bombardier airplanes. The FAA determined corrective action is
necessary for U.S. operators of all aircraft with an FMS installed.
The FAA also notes that its Wichita ACO Branch did not issue the
NPRM. The NPRM was coordinated with all appropriate FAA offices and
subsequently issued by the Deputy Director of the Policy and Innovation
Division (AIR-601) of the FAA's Aircraft Certification Service. The FAA
has not changed the AD based on this comment.

Request To Revise Preamble Information

Collins requested the FAA replace some of the information in the
preamble with text from Rockwell Collins Operational Service Bulletin
0166-l7R5. Collins stated the description in the NPRM does not
accurately describe the issue. According to Collins, the design error
is that the FMS removes the planned turn direction if the crew manually
edits or uses temperature compensation to edit the altitude climb
field. In addition, Collins stated the FMS does not always turn in an
incorrect direction, but rather only when the shortest turn differs
from the planned turn.
The FAA partially agrees. For clarification purposes, the FAA has
revised the referenced text in accordance with Collins' comment.
However, the FAA disagrees with replacing the referenced text with the
description from Rockwell Collins Operational Service Bulletin 0166-
17R5. The specific language requested by the commenter is a detailed
engineering description of the FMS design error that is appropriate for
a service bulletin.

Support of AD Action

The Air Line Pilots Association and an anonymous commenter
supported the NPRM.

Conclusion

The FAA reviewed the relevant data, considered the comments
received, and determined that air safety and the public interest
require adopting this final rule with the changes described previously.
The FAA determined that these changes will not increase the economic
burden on any operator or increase the scope of this final rule.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

The FAA reviewed Rockwell Collins Service Information Letter, CSU-
XX00-18-1, dated June 27, 2018. The service letter contains procedures
for disabling the automatic temperature compensation option in Pro Line
4 and Pro Line 21 FMC systems. The FAA also reviewed Rockwell Collins
Service Information Letter FMC-XX00-18-1, Revision 1, dated February 5,
2019. The service letter provides instructions for revising the
Limitations section of the AFM by adding prohibitions on editing
altitudes for specific Pro Line 4 and Pro Line 21 Flight Management
Systems. 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.

Costs of Compliance

The FAA estimates that this AD affects 2,855 products installed on
airplanes of U.S. registry.
The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD:

Estimated Costs

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

This AD will not have federalism implications under Executive Order
13132. This AD will 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 that this AD:
(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.

Adoption of the Amendment

Accordingly, under the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the FAA amends 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):