DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. FAA-2023-1643; Project Identifier MCAI-2022-01649-A;
Amendment 39-22555; AD 2023-19-05]
RIN 2120-AA64

Airworthiness Directives; British Aerospace (Operations) Limited
and British Aerospace Regional Aircraft Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2017-19-22
for all British Aerospace Regional Aircraft Jetstream Series 3101 and
Jetstream Model 3201 airplanes. AD 2017-19-22 required incorporating
BAE Systems' Corrosion Prevention and Control program into the
Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS) of the existing instructions
for continued airworthiness (ICA) for your airplane, which added new
and more restrictive inspections for corrosion that include inspecting
the door hinges/supporting structure and attachment bolts for the main
spar joint and engine support, and the rudder hinge location on the
vertical stabilizer, and applicable corrective actions. Since the FAA
issued AD 2017-19-22, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of the United
Kingdom (UK) superseded the mandatory continuing airworthiness
information (MCAI) issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (now
European Union Aviation Safety Agency) (EASA) to correct an unsafe
condition on these products. This AD requires revising the ALS of the
existing ICA for your airplane. The FAA is issuing this AD to address
the unsafe condition on these products.

DATES: This AD is effective November 6, 2023.
The Director of the Federal Register approved the incorporation by
reference of a certain publication listed in this AD as of November 6,
2023.

ADDRESSES:
AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under
Docket No. FAA-2023-1643; 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, the MCAI, 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.
Material Incorporated by Reference:
For service information identified in this final rule,
contact BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd., Customer Information Department,
Prestwick International Airport, Ayrshire, KA9 2RW, Scotland, United
Kingdom; phone: +44 3300 488727; fax: +44 1292 675704; email:
RApublications@baesystems.com; website: baesystems.com/businesses/
regionalaircraft/.
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. It is also available at
regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA-2023-1643.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doug Rudolph, Aviation Safety
Engineer, FAA, 1600 Stewart Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590; phone: (816)
329-4059; email: doug.rudolph@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14
CFR part 39 to supersede AD 2017-19-22, Amendment 39-19052 (82 FR
44502, September 25, 2017) (AD 2017-19-22). AD 2017-19-22 applied to
all British Aerospace Regional Aircraft Jetstream Series 3101 and
Jetstream Model 3201 airplanes. AD 2017-19-22 required incorporating
new revisions to the ALS of the existing ICA for your airplane to
incorporate new and more restrictive inspections for corrosion, which
include inspecting the door hinges/supporting structure and attachment
bolts of the main spar joint and engine support, and the hinge location
on the vertical stabilizer, and repair or replacement, as applicable.
The FAA issued AD 2017-19-22 to address corrosion on the rudder upper
hinge bracket and internal wing, areas of the passenger/crew door
hinges and supporting structure, the main spar joint, and the engine
support attachment bolts, which could lead to reduced structural
integrity with consequent loss of control.
The NPRM published in the Federal Register on July 27, 2023 (88 FR
48393). The NPRM was prompted by UK CAA AD G-2022-0021, dated December
21, 2022 (referred to after this as the MCAI), issued by the UK CAA,
which is the aviation authority for the UK. The MCAI states that
reports were received of corrosion on the rudder tab hinges, fuselage
skin beneath the marker beacon antenna external doubler, and fuselage
skin beneath the static vent external doubler, resulting in the need
for new and more restrictive inspection requirements. The MCAI requires
accomplishing the actions specified in BAE Systems Jetstream Series
3100 & 3200 Corrosion Prevention and Control Programme, Manual Ref: JS/
CPCP/01, Revision 9, dated April 15, 2022 (BAE Systems CPCP Manual JS/
CPCP/01, Revision 9) within the associated threshold and intervals
specified in BAE Systems CPCP Manual JS/CPCP/01, Revision 9.
You may examine the MCAI in the AD docket at regulations.gov under
Docket No. FAA-2023-1643.
In the NPRM, the FAA proposed to require revising the ALS of the
existing ICA for your approved maintenance or inspection program, as applicable,
by including new actions, which include inspecting the rudder tab
hinges, fuselage skin beneath the marker beacon antenna external
doubler, and fuselage skin beneath the static vent external doubler for
corrosion, and depending on the inspection results, performing
applicable corrective actions.
The FAA is issuing this AD to address corrosion on the rudder tab
hinges, fuselage skin beneath the marker beacon antenna external
doubler, and fuselage skin beneath the static vent external doubler.
The unsafe condition, if not addressed, could lead to reduced
structural integrity of the affected parts with consequent loss of
control of the airplane.

Discussion of Final Airworthiness Directive

Comments

The FAA received no comments on the NPRM or on the determination of
the costs.

Conclusion

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 referenced above. The FAA reviewed the relevant data 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. Except for minor editorial changes, this AD is
adopted as proposed in the NPRM.

Related Service Information Under 1 CFR Part 51

The FAA reviewed BAE Systems CPCP Manual JS/CPCP/01, Revision 9.
This service information specifies procedures for a comprehensive
corrosion prevention and control program.
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.

Differences Between This AD and the MCAI

The MCAI applies to Model Jetstream Series 3100 and Jetstream
Series 3200 airplanes, which are identified on the FAA type
certificates as Jetstream Model 3101 and Jetstream Model 3201
airplanes, respectively.
The MCAI specifies contacting BAE for approved corrective actions
instructions and this AD requires, for certain corrective actions,
contacting the Manager, International Validation Branch, FAA; UK CAA;
British Aerospace (Operations) Limited's Design Organization Approval
(DOA) (for Jetstream Series 3101); or British Aerospace Regional
Aircraft's DOA (for Jetstream Model 3201) for approved corrective
action instructions and accomplishing those instructions accordingly.
If approved by the DOA, the approval must include the DOA-authorized
signature.
The MCAI requires revising the existing aircraft maintenance
program (AMP) to introduce the actions specified in BAE Systems CPCP
Manual JS/CPCP/01, Revision 9. After the AMP is revised, the MCAI does
not require recording AD compliance on a continued basis each time an
action in the revised AMP is performed. The AMP is not required for
U.S. operators for the affected airplanes; however, this AD requires
incorporating BAE Systems CPCP Manual JS/CPCP/01, Revision 9, into the
ALS of the existing ICA for your airplane, which has the same intended
result as revising the AMP of not needing to record compliance with the
AD each time an individual action is accomplished.
The MCAI requires doing all actions in BAE Systems CPCP Manual JS/
CPCP/01, Revision 9, from the effective date of UK CAA AD G-2022-0021
and this AD requires doing all actions in BAE Systems CPCP Manual JS/
CPCP/01, Revision 9, at the compliance times specified in that manual
or within 12 months after the effective date of this AD, whichever
occurs later, except for the actions identified in paragraph (g)(3) of
this AD.
BAE Systems CPCP Manual JS/CPCP/01, Revision 9 specifies reporting
of Level 2 and Level 3 corrosion, and this AD does not.

Costs of Compliance

The FAA estimates that this AD affects 42 airplanes of U.S.
registry.
The FAA estimates the following costs to comply with this AD:

Estimated Costs

The scope of damage found while performing the actions specified in
BAE Systems CPCP Manual JS/CPCP/01, Revision 9, could vary
significantly from airplane to airplane. The FAA has no data to
determine the costs to repair or replace damaged parts on each airplane
or the number of airplanes that may require repair.

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 has determined that 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:

a. Removing Airworthiness Directive 2017-19-22, Amendment 39-19052 (82
FR 44502, September 25, 2017); and

b. Adding the following new airworthiness directive: