DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2021-0875; Project Identifier AD-2021-00675-E;
Amendment 39-21945; AD 2022-04-04]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Continental Aerospace Technologies,
Inc. and Continental Motors Reciprocating Engines

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 Continental Aerospace Technologies, Inc. C-125, C145, IO-360,
IO-470, IO-550, O-300, O-470, TSIO-360, TSIO-520 series model
reciprocating engines and certain Continental Motors IO-520 series
model reciprocating engines with a certain oil filter adapter
installed. This AD was prompted by reports of two accidents that were
the result of power loss due to oil starvation. This AD requires
replacing the oil filter adapter fiber gasket (fiber gasket) with an
oil filter adapter copper gasket (copper gasket). The FAA is issuing
this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: This AD is effective March 29, 2022.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by
reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of March 29,
2022.

ADDRESSES: For service information identified in this final rule,
contact Stratus Tool Technologies, LLC, 2208 Air Park Drive,
Burlington, NC 27215; phone: (800) 822-3200; website: https://www.
tempestplus.com. You may view this service information at the FAA,
Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 1200
District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803. For information on the
availability of this material at the FAA, call (817) 222-5110. It is
also available at https://www.regulations.gov by searching for and
locating Docket No. FAA-2021-0875.

Examining the AD Docket

You may examine the AD docket at https://www.regulations.gov by
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2021-0875; 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, any
comments received, and other information. The address for Docket
Operations is 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: George Hanlin, Aviation Safety
Engineer, Atlanta ACO, FAA, 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, GA
30337; phone: (404) 474-5584; fax: (404) 474-5605; email:
george.hanlin@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14
CFR part 39 by adding an AD that would apply to certain Continental
Aerospace Technologies, Inc. (Type Certificate previously held by
Continental Motors, Inc., and Teledyne Continental Motors) C-125-1, C-
125-2, C145-2, C145-2H, IO-360-C, IO-360-D, IO-360-DB, IO-360-H, IO-
360-HB, IO-360-K, IO-360-KB, IO-470-E, IO-470-S, IO-550-B, IO-550-G, O-
300-B, O-300-C, O-300-D, O-300-E, O-470-A, O-470-B, O-470-G, O-470-J,
O-470-K, O-470-L, O-470-M, O-470-N, O-470-R, O-470-S, O-470-U, O-470-
11, O-470-15, TSIO-360-E, TSIO-360-EB, TSIO-360-F, TSIO-360-FB, TSIO-
360-GB, TSIO-360-LB, TSIO-360-MB, TSIO-360-SB, TSIO-520-C, TSIO-520-CE,
TSIO-520-E, TSIO-520-UB model reciprocating engines; and Continental
Motors (Type Certificate previously held by Teledyne Continental
Motors) IO-520-A, IO-520-B, IO-520-BA, IO-520-BB, IO-520-C, IO-520-D,
IO-520-J, and IO-520-L model reciprocating engines. The NPRM published
in the Federal Register on October 12, 2021 (86 FR 56658). The NPRM was
prompted by reports of two accidents that were the result of power loss
due to oil starvation. The first was a fatal accident on May 1, 2019,
in Mill Creek California, involving a Cessna 182P airplane with an
installed Continental Motors O-470-S engine. The National
Transportation Safety Board's preliminary accident investigation
report, docket number WPR19FA126, identified evidence of improperly
maintained or installed oil filter adapters. An improperly maintained
or installed oil filter adapter may lead to failure of the fiber
gasket, which may result in oil loss or oil starvation. Based on the
investigation, the manufacturer determined the need to replace the
fiber gasket with a copper gasket. In the NPRM, the FAA proposed to
require removal of the fiber gasket and replacement with a copper
gasket.

The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these
products.

Discussion of Final Airworthiness Directive

Comments

The FAA received comments from two individual commenters. The
following presents the comments received on the NPRM and the FAA's
response to each comment.

Request To Broaden the Scope

One commenter compared the NPRM to a previous AD that the FAA
issued in 1996, AD 96-12-22 (61 FR 30501, June 17, 1996), to address
loose or separated oil filter adapters. The commenter requested that
the FAA consider issuing an AD with a broader scope, such as a remote-
mounted oil filter secured to the firewall, as a more permanent
solution. The commenter reasoned that a remote-mounted filter would
reduce the potential for accidents caused by oil starvation and power
loss.
The FAA issued AD 96-12-22 to address an unsafe condition caused by
adapter-to-oil pump threads fragmenting, resulting in loose or
separated oil filter adapters. Like AD 96-12-22, a remote-mounted oil
filter secured to the firewall is not needed to correct the unsafe
condition prompting this AD, which is power loss due to oil starvation.
The unsafe condition that prompted this AD was caused by failure of the
fiber gasket due to improperly maintained or installed oil filter
adapters. Therefore, this AD requires replacing the fiber gasket with a
copper gasket.

Suggestion To Design a Better Gasket

One commenter requested that the FAA make the manufacturer design a
better gasket, installed with a torque commensurate with the torqued
material, such as fiber gasket material similar to the gaskets used in
propeller governors. The commenter stated that the gaskets used in
propeller governors are manufactured with an oil-resistant outer layer,
a stainless steel mesh center layer, and an oil-resistant inner layer.
The commenter reasoned that these gaskets would cover the entire
sealing faces of the oil filter adapter and the oil pump, unlike the
copper gasket, which uses only a portion of the sealing area.
The FAA does not agree that using fiber gasket material similar to
the gaskets used in propeller governors is necessary to address the
unsafe condition, which is power loss due to oil starvation. The unsafe
condition that prompted this AD was caused by failure of the fiber
gasket due to improperly maintained or installed oil filter adapters,
not the amount of torque applied to a specific gasket material.
Additionally, as part of the certification process, the manufacturer
has analyzed and tested the copper gasket and found it meets the design
intent.

Conclusion

The FAA reviewed the relevant data, considered any comments
received, and determined that air safety requires adopting this AD as
proposed. Accordingly, the FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe
condition on these products. This AD is adopted as proposed in the
NPRM.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

The FAA reviewed Stratus Tool Technologies Mandatory Service
Bulletin (MSB) SB-001 Rev B, dated June 17, 2021. This MSB specifies
procedures for removing a fiber gasket and replacing it with a copper
gasket. 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 ADDRESSES.

Costs of Compliance

The FAA estimates that this AD affects 6,300 engines 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.

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: