DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2024-0996; Project Identifier AD-2023-00365-Q]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Various Airplanes and Helicopters

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD)
2021-07-13, which applies to certain Pacific Scientific Company rotary
buckle assemblies (buckles). AD 2021-07-13 requires inspecting each
buckle including its buckle handle vane, and depending on the results,
removing the buckle from service and installing an airworthy buckle. AD
2021-07-13 also prohibits installing affected buckles. Since the FAA
issued AD 2021-07-13, the manufacturer published an updated service
bulletin, which revises the applicability based on date of manufacture
of the affected buckles. This proposed AD would retain certain
requirements of AD 2021-07-13. This proposed AD would also reduce the
applicability to plastic buckles manufactured on or before May 31,
2007, or any buckle assembly whose date of manufacture cannot be
determined. Additionally, this proposed AD would require performing
corrective actions by complying with certain portions of the updated
service bulletin. 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 24,
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 by
searching for and locating Docket No. FAA-2024-0996; 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, 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
Parker Meggitt Services, 1785 Voyager Ave., Simi Valley, CA 93063;
phone: (877) 666-0712; email: TechSupport@meggitt.com.
You may view this service information at the FAA, Office
of the Regional Counsel, Southwest Region, 10101 Hillwood Pkwy., Room
6N-321, Fort Worth, TX 76177. For information on the availability of
this material at the FAA, call (817) 222-5110.
Other Related Service Information: For other service information
identified in this NPRM, contact Parker Meggitt Services, at the Parker
Meggitt Services contact information under Material Incorporated by
Reference above. You may also view this service information at the FAA
contact information under Material Incorporated by Reference above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hal Jensen, Aviation Safety Engineer,
FAA; 3960 Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood, CA 90712; phone (303) 342-
1080; email hal.jensen@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-2024-0996; Project Identifier
AD-2023-00365-Q'' 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 Hal
Jensen, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA; 3960 Paramount Boulevard,
Lakewood, CA 90712; phone (303) 342-1080; email hal.jensen@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

The FAA issued AD 2021-07-13, Amendment 39-21490 (86 FR 17703,
April 6, 2021) (AD 2021-07-13), for Pacific Scientific Company buckles
part numbers 1111430 and 1111475, all dash numbers, installed on but
not limited to Bombardier Inc., Learjet Inc., Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries, Ltd., Textron Aviation, Inc. (type certificate (TC)
previously held by Cessna Aircraft Company), and Viking Air Limited (TC
previously held by de Havilland, Inc.) model airplanes and Airbus
Helicopters (TC previously held by Eurocopter France) model
helicopters. AD 2021-07-13 was prompted by European Union Aviation
Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2007-0256, dated September 19, 2007 (EASA AD
2007-0256), issued by EASA, which is the Technical Agent for the Member
States of the European Union, to correct an unsafe condition for
certain Pacific Scientific Company Seat Restraint System Plastic Rotary
Buckle Handles. According to EASA, Pacific Scientific Company reported
several instances of cracked handles on certain buckles with a date of
manufacture from November 2004 through May 2007. EASA later cancelled
EASA AD 2007-0256 and adopted FAA AD 2021-07-13.
Accordingly, AD 2021-07-13 requires inspecting each buckle
including its buckle handle vane, and depending on the results,
removing the buckle from service and installing an airworthy buckle. AD
2021-07-13 also prohibits installing the affected buckles on any
airplane or helicopter. The FAA issued AD 2021-07-13 to prevent a strap
from not releasing as intended when the buckle is rotated.

Actions Since AD 2021-07-13 Was Issued

Since the FAA issued AD 2021-07-13, the manufacturer determined
that the cracking on the buckle handle was caused by a material process
issue and stated that the issue was resolved in 2007. Accordingly, the
manufacturer published revised service information to revise the
applicability by date of manufacture and clarify procedures.
Consequently, this proposed AD would revise the applicability to
plastic buckles with a date of manufacture on or before May 31, 2007,
or buckles whose date of manufacture cannot be determined, except not
those buckles repaired with the installation of an airworthy buckle
handle after May 31, 2007, and marked with a BLUE logo on the center
button. This proposed AD would also clarify that the unsafe condition
could result in occupants not being able to release the buckle in
certain emergency landing conditions. Furthermore, this proposed AD
would also require using the revised service information to accomplish
its requirements. Lastly, the FAA has determined that adding a special
flight permit limitation in this proposed AD is necessary.
Additionally, this NPRM would update the contact information to
obtain service information, and move and update the contents of Note 1
in AD 2021-07-13 to the preamble of this NPRM.

FAA's Determination

The FAA is issuing this NPRM after determining that the unsafe
condition described previously is likely to exist or develop on other
airplanes and helicopters with a restraint system with a certain buckle
installed as part of their type design.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

The FAA reviewed Parker Meggitt Service Bulletin SB 25-1111432,
Revision 002, dated September 12, 2023 (SB 25-1111432 Rev 002), which
specifies instructions for inspecting certain buckles for a crack, and
measuring each buckle handle vane for correct thickness. SB 25-1111432
Rev 002 also specifies instructions for corrective actions, including
but not limited to, removing and returning the buckle assembly or
restraint assembly to Parker Meggitt for overhaul or replacement; and
removing the buckle assembly or restraint assembly and replacing them
with spare, new, or
repaired assemblies. An applicable buckle may be included as a
component of a different part-numbered restraint system assembly. Table
1 of SB 25-1111432 Rev 002 identifies restraint system P/Ns that may be
affected.
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.

Other Related Service Information

The FAA also reviewed Meggitt Service Information Letter SIL
Restraint-25-002-2023, dated January 24, 2023, which contains
additional information specifying how to locate the date of manufacture
on each buckle.

Proposed AD Requirements in This NPRM

This proposed AD would retain certain requirements of AD 2021-07-
13. This proposed AD would also reduce the applicability paragraph to
apply to plastic buckle assemblies with a certain date of manufacture,
or with a date of manufacture not known. This proposed AD would require
accomplishing the actions specified in the service information already
described, except as discussed under ``Differences Between this
Proposed AD and the Service Information.''

Differences Between This Proposed AD and the Service Information

Where the service information specifies sending affected parts to
the manufacturer, this proposed AD would not. The service information
does not specify a compliance time to inspect for a crack or measure
for thickness, whereas this proposed AD would require inspecting the
buckle handle for a crack within 6 months and measuring the buckle
handle vane thickness within 12 months.

Costs of Compliance

The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would
affect up to 1,435 restraint systems installed on aircraft of U.S.
registry. Labor rates are estimated at $85 per work-hour. Based on
these numbers, the FAA estimates the following costs to comply with
this proposed AD.
Inspecting each buckle handle for a crack and measuring thickness
would take a nominal amount of time.
The FAA estimates the following costs to do any necessary
replacements that would be required based on the results of the
inspection. The FAA has no way of determining the number of aircraft
that might need these replacements.
Replacing each buckle would take about 0.5 work-hour and parts
would cost about $636 for an estimated cost of $679 per buckle
replacement.
Replacing each restraint system would take about 0.5 work-hour and
parts would cost about $1,031 for an estimated cost of $1,074 per
restraint system replacement.

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 that the 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:

a. Removing Airworthiness Directive 2021-07-13, Amendment 39-21490 (86
FR 17703, April 6, 2021); and

b. Adding the following new airworthiness directive: