DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2022-1404; Project Identifier MCAI-2022-01044-A]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. 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 Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. (Pilatus) Model PC-12/47E 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 corrosion of the
actuator attachment lug areas underneath the anti-rotation pads of the
main landing gear (MLG) and nose landing gear (NLG). This proposed AD
would require replacing certain MLG and NLG electro-mechanical
actuators. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition
on these products.

DATES: The FAA must receive comments on this NPRM by December 22, 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 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.

AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under
Docket No. FAA-2022-1404; 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: Doug Rudolph, Aviation Safety
Engineer, FAA, General Aviation & Rotorcraft Section, International
Validation Branch, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, MO 64106; phone:
(816) 329-4059; email: doug.rudolph@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-2022-1404; Project Identifier
MCAI-2022-01044-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
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 Doug
Rudolph, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, General Aviation & Rotorcraft
Section, International Validation Branch, 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 2022-0158, dated August 4, 2022 (referred to after this as
``the MCAI''), to correct an unsafe condition on certain serial-
numbered Pilatus Model PC-12/47E airplanes.
The MCAI was prompted by occurrences of corrosion on the MLG and
NLG actuator attachment lugs, underneath the anti-rotation pads of
Pilatus Model PC-12/47E airplanes. The MCAI states that investigations
revealed that extending or retracting the affected landing gear results
in fretting between the anti-rotation pads and the actuator attachment
lugs. This decreases the effectivity of surface protection, allows
corrosion to develop on the attachment lug areas underneath the anti-
rotation pads, and leads to cracking and failure of the attachment
lugs.
This condition, if not addressed, could result in loss of
functionality of the MLG and NLG, which could result in damage to the
airplane and injury to the occupants. The MCAI requires inspecting, and
if required, replacing affected MLG and NLG electro-mechanical
actuators with serviceable actuators and prohibits the installation of
an affected actuator unless it has been reworked to become a
serviceable actuator.
You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at regulations.gov under
Docket No. FAA-2022-1404.

FAA's Determination

These products have been approved by the aviation authority of
another country and are 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 described above. The FAA is issuing
this NPRM after determining that 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 replacing affected MLG and NLG
actuators with serviceable actuators (either improved part number
actuators or reworked (inspection and modification) actuators) and
prohibits the installation of an affected actuator unless it has been
reworked (inspection and modification) to become a serviceable
actuator.

Differences Between This Proposed AD and the MCAI

The MCAI bases the compliance time for the replacement of affected
MLG and NLG electro-mechanical actuators on the corrosion environment
of the airplane. FAA regulations do not require operators to track
operations in different environmental conditions and thus there is no
way to determine whether an airplane is in the category of moderate to
severe or mild corrosion environment. Therefore, this proposed AD would
establish the compliance time for the replacement as within 3 months
after the effective date of the final rule, regardless of the
airplane's operating environment.
The MCAI and the proposed AD affect the same serial-numbered Model
PC-12/47E airplanes, but the MCAI limits the requirement for
replacement to certain serial-numbered PC-12/47E airplanes with an
affected electro-mechanical landing gear installed and prohibits
installation of the affected landing gear on all airplanes in the
applicability. Pilatus has notified the FAA that all the airplanes in
the applicability should be part of the proposed replacement
requirements and installation prohibition. EASA is considering a
revision to the MCAI based on this information. Because of this, the
proposed AD would require the replacement on all serial-numbered Model
PC-12/47E airplanes in the applicability of the proposed AD.

Costs of Compliance

The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would
affect 440 airplanes of U.S. registry.
The FAA estimates that the costs of one of the two actions below
would be required to comply with this proposed AD:


Estimated Costs

* Only the rework (inspection and modification) or the replacement would be required
by this proposed AD. Both actions would not be required.

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: