DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2024-0467; Project Identifier MCAI-2023-00892-T]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Bombardier, Inc., 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 Bombardier, Inc., Model CL-600-2B16 (604 Variant)
airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report of sparking due to
damaged wire insulation in the fueling adapter. This proposed AD would
require inspecting the electrical wires attached to the airplane
connector located behind the fuel scupper for damage, and all
applicable related investigative and corrective actions. 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 6,
2024.

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-2024-0467; 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 mandatory continuing airworthiness
information (MCAI), any comments received, and other information. The
street address for Docket Operations is listed above.
Material Incorporated by Reference:
For service information identified in this NPRM, contact
Bombardier Business Aircraft Customer Response Center, 400 Cote-
Vertu Road West, Dorval, Quebec H4S 1Y9, Canada; phone 514-855-
2999; email ac.yul@aero.bombardier.com; website bombardier.com.
You may view this service information at the FAA,
Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South
216th St., Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this
material at the FAA, call 206-231-3195.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Dzierzynski, Aviation Safety
Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590;
phone: 516-228-7300; email: 9-avs-nyaco-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 ADDRESSES. Include ``Docket No. FAA-2024-0467; Project Identifier
MCAI-2023-00892-T'' 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
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
Steven Dzierzynski, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue,
Suite 410, Westbury, NY 11590; phone: 516-228-7300; email:
9-avs-nyaco-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

Transport Canada, which is the aviation authority for Canada, has
issued Transport Canada AD CF-2023-55, dated July 18, 2023 (Transport
Canada AD CF-2023-55) (also referred to after this as the MCAI), to
correct an unsafe condition on certain Bombardier, Inc., Model CL-600-
2B16 (604 Variant) airplanes. The MCAI states that during airplane
refueling, a spark was seen when the fuel cap chain contacted one of
the fuel scupper bolts. An inspection was performed and one of the
fourteen bolts that surround the fuel inlet was found touching an
electrical wire behind the scupper. Due to vibrations during flight,
the bolt damaged the wire insulation and when the bolt was grounded to
the airframe a spark was generated. This condition, if not corrected,
could lead to electrical sparks during refueling and possibly result in
a fire.
The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on
these products. You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at
regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2024-0467.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

The FAA reviewed Bombardier Service Bulletin 605-28-014, dated May
10, 2023; and Bombardier Service Bulletin 650-28-003, dated May 10,
2023. This service information specifies procedures for inspecting the
electrical wires attached to the J274 connector (i.e., the airplane
connector located behind the fuel scupper) for damage (i.e., core of
the electrical wire exposed, or damage such as black soot to the
insulation with no core exposure), and applicable related investigative
and corrective actions. The related investigative action includes
inspecting the fuel scupper for damage (i.e., arcing or pitting marks
directly or indirectly induced by the wire chaffed on the scupper bolt
and the surrounding area). The corrective actions include repairing any
damaged fuel scupper, repairing or replacing any damaged electrical
wire, and reinstalling the fuel scupper without a certain attachment
bolt. These documents are distinct since they apply to different
configurations of the airplane.
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.

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 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 accomplishing the actions specified
in the service information already described.

Costs of Compliance

The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would
affect 163 airplanes of U.S. registry. The FAA estimates the following
costs to comply with this proposed AD:

Estimated Costs for Required Actions

The FAA estimates the following costs to do any necessary on-
condition actions that would be required based on the results of any
required actions. The FAA has no way of determining the number of
aircraft that might need these on-condition actions:

Estimated Costs of On-Condition Actions

* The FAA has received no definitive data on which to base the cost
estimates for the on-condition scupper repair specified in this
proposed AD.
** The FAA has received no definitive data on which to base the parts
cost for the electrical wire replacement specified in this proposed
AD.

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: