DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 39
[Docket No. FAA-2022-0452; Project Identifier MCAI-2021-01356-A]
RIN 2120-AA64
Airworthiness Directives; Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A 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 Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A (Piaggio) Model P-180
airplanes. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing
airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of
another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an
aviation product. The MCAI identifies the unsafe condition as
accumulation of water and subsequent freezing in the pitot-tube, which
results in pitot-tube blockage. This proposed AD would require
modifying the total air temperature (TAT) probe heater electrical
circuit and revising your existing airplane flight manual (AFM). 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 May
26,
2022.
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 Piaggio
Aero Industries S.p.A, P-180 Customer Support, Via Pioieri e Aviatori
d'Italia snc, 16154 Genoa, Italy; phone: +39 010 099 8400; email:
technicalsupport@piaggioaviation.it; website: https://www.technicalsupport@piaggioaerospace.it.com.
You may view this 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 (817) 222-5110.
Examining the AD Docket
You may examine the AD docket at https://www.regulations.gov by
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2022-0452; 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 MCAI,
any comments received, and other information. The street address for
Docket Operations is listed above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Kiesov, Aviation Safety Engineer,
General Aviation & Rotorcraft Section, International Validation Branch,
FAA, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, MO 64106; phone: (816) 329-
4144; email: mike.kiesov@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 ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2022-0452; Project Identifier
MCAI-2021-01356-A'' 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
this 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 NPRM.
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 Mike
Kiesov, Aviation Safety Engineer, General Aviation & Rotorcraft
Section, International Validation Branch, FAA, 901 Locust, Room 301,
Kansas City, MO 64106. 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 European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the
Technical Agent for the Member States of the European Union, has issued
EASA AD 2019-0144, dated June 19, 2019 (referred to after this as ``the
MCAI''), to address an unsafe condition on all Piaggio Model P.180
Avanti and Avanti II airplanes. The MCAI states:
Occurrences of pitot-tube blockage were reported, leading to in-
flight air data loss. Investigation results indicated that
accumulation of water and subsequent freezing was the failure cause.
This condition, if not corrected, could lead to unreliable
indication or loss of in-flight air data provided by systems
deriving their data from measuring air pressure, possibly resulting
in loss of control of the aeroplane.
To address this potentially unsafe condition, Piaggio issued the
applicable AFM TC [Piaggio Aviation P.180 AVANTI II/EVO Temporary
Change 79, dated September 17, 2018; and Piaggio Aviation P.180
AVANTI Temporary Change No. 36 and No. 79], providing instructions
to switch on pitot-tube heater before taxi if operation in heavy
rain, snow or icing condition is expected. To prevent concurrent
activation of TAT probe heater on ground, which could lead to
temporary air data indications failure, Piaggio issued the
applicable SBs [Piaggio Service Bulletin No. 80-0430 Revision 1 and
Piaggio Service Bulletin No. 80-0457, original issue], providing
modification instructions to inhibit on-ground power supply to TAT
probe heater, when the pitot-tube heater is activated.
For the reasons described above, this [EASA] AD requires
amendment of the applicable AFM and, for certain aeroplanes,
modification of the TAT probe heater electrical circuit.
You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at https://www.regulations.gov
by
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2022-0452.
Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51
The FAA reviewed Piaggio Aviation S.p.A. Service Bulletin No. 80-
0430, Revision 1, dated April 30, 2019; and Piaggio Aero Industries
S.p.A. Service Bulletin No. 80-0457, Revision 1, dated February 12,
2020. These service bulletins specify procedures for modifying the TAT
heater circuit in order to inhibit its engagement on the ground when
the pitot heater is turned on. These documents are distinct because
they apply to airplanes in different configurations.
The FAA reviewed Piaggio Aviation P.180 AVANTI II/EVO Temporary
Change No. 79, dated September 17, 2018. Temporary Change (TC) 79
revises the Limitations and Normal Procedures sections of the existing
AFM to include updated procedures for airplane operation when the
modification for inhibition of the TAT heater (on ground) has been
installed.
The FAA also reviewed Piaggio Aviation P.180 AVANTI Temporary
Change No. 36, dated April 11, 2019. TC 36 revises the Emergency and
Normal Procedures sections of the existing AFM to include additional
procedures to avoid air data computer (ADC) failure due to water
trapped and frozen in pitot lines.
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 reviewed Piaggio Aero Industries Service Bulletin No. 80-
0454, Revision 0, dated March 6, 2017; Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A.
Service Bulletin No. 80-0425, Revision 0, dated May 30, 2017; and
Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A. Service Bulletin No. 80-0425, Revision
2, dated June 4, 2018. This service information specifies procedures
for replacing the Messier-Dowty nose and main landing gear and steering
system with a Magnaghi nose and main landing gear and Eaton steering
system.
The FAA also reviewed Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A. Service
Bulletin No. 80-0430, Revision 0, dated August 10, 2017. This service
information specifies procedures for modifying the TAT heater circuit
in order to inhibit its engagement on the ground when the pitot heater
is turned on.
FAA's Determination
This product has been approved by the aviation authority of another
country and is approved for operation in the United States. Pursuant to
the FAA's bilateral agreement with this State of Design Authority, it
has notified the FAA of the unsafe condition described in the MCAI and
service information referenced above. The FAA is issuing this NPRM
after determining the unsafe condition described previously is likely
to exist or develop on other products of the same type design.
Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM
This proposed AD would require accomplishing the actions specified
in the service information already described.
Differences Between This Proposed AD and the MCAI
The MCAI requires informing all flight crews of the AFM revisions
and operating accordingly thereafter, and this proposed AD would not
because those actions are already required by FAA operating
regulations.
Costs of Compliance
The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would
affect 101 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 airplane |
Cost on U.S. operators |
Modify TAT probe heater
electrical circuit |
42 work-hours x $85 per hour
= $3,570 |
Up to $3,632 |
Up to $7,202 |
Up to $496,938
(69
airplanes) |
Revise AFM |
1 work-hour x $85 per hour =
$85 |
Not Applicable |
$85 |
$8,585 (101 airplanes) |
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 adding the following new airworthiness
directive:
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